


Holding The Devil At Bay

by neitherbluenorgreen, Rosebudwhite



Category: American Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Elves, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Supernatural Elements, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-11-12
Packaged: 2018-02-17 09:23:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 23,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2304722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neitherbluenorgreen/pseuds/neitherbluenorgreen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosebudwhite/pseuds/Rosebudwhite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Behind the doors of an innocuous library many secrets are hidden.  But when a crate of mysterious artifacts turns up, it's down to a librarian, a thief and a field agent to keep the Devil at bay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**_London, Spring 1921_ **

 

_Oritur autem diabolus ante omnia cogitationis hominis e turpibus, et supra imaginationem est, quia homo et para subjugatio incedere._

_Yet before the Devil rises, all foul things from the imagination of man, and those beyond his imagination, will walk the earth and prepare man for subjugation._

\-----

Thomas pulled off his glasses with frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose, he then blinked and looked around him.  He was the last person in the library, yet again.  He had not even heard them all leave.  He blinked several more times and looked back down at the text in front of him.  He was sure his translation was sound, but the ramblings of a fourteenth century scholar were just that, ramblings.  This new text had come to light with a host of other artefacts from a monastery in Poland.  It had been sent to them as the Polish contingent had nowhere near the manpower nor, and Thomas ego swelled with the knowledge, the expertise that he had.

Thomas decided to call it a day, he was not going to get any further tonight.  He placed a marker in the book and, after closing it gently, took off his gloves.  He began to gather his personal items and his notebook, then as he made to grab for his hat and coat, he heard the noise.

The sound of breaking glass.  The tinkle sounded from the direction of the staff kitchen, which was several rooms away.  Thomas dropped all that he was holding and quickly switched off the small desk lamp, throwing the library into darkness.  Break ins were not unheard of, the library’s wealth displayed on its walls and on its shelves, but his heart stopped as he realised that the artefact room was still unlocked, and unguarded.  The warding having been dropped to allow him to go in and out freely with this new shipment.

Thomas crept along the walls of the library, keeping close to the shelves.  He did not want to alert any burglars to his presence, he probably could not overthrow anyone, but he could have a go at slowing them down.  His worse fears were confirmed as he approached the door of the artefact room and saw it standing wide open.  He crept closer until he saw a small pinprick of light coming from a portable lamp.  Dressed from head to toe in black, all he could see was the bobbing of the intruders head as they seemed to be searching through the wooden crate.

As he watched the figure lifted a small round object from within the straw and with a small toss of it, in triumph, placed the object in a bag that they had slung over their shoulder.  The lamp was extinguished and the figure crept back out of the room.

He realised it was now or never.  He managed to grab the perpetrator’s wrist, it was thin, but that was no unusual in the starving criminal classes.

“Let me go!  You don’t know what evil is in this crate!”

Thomas immediately let go, the voice was feminine with a hint of an accent.  “Who are you?  What do you know about the shipment?”

“My family have been protecting it for thousands of years.  Now your people moved it, they know where it is, they are coming for it.”

“Who are _they_?”

As if in answer the roar of several large car engines pulling up outside the main doors brought Thomas to his senses.

“I must protect the Key.  Help me?” There was a pleading to her voice now.

Thomas shook his head as he could not comprehend what she was asking.  She had broken in, stolen this ‘Key’ and was now asking for help.  Beyond all logical reasoning, he nodded and grabbed her hand. 

The pair ran through the maze of hallways and back across the library that echoed with their footsteps.

“Wait.”  Thomas breathed as they reached the desk he had been working at.  Without his normal ceremony and reverence for such things, he grabbed the manuscript roughly by the spine and thrust it into his briefcase.  The girl grabbed his hand this time and pulled him away.  He felt a pang as he left his favourite hat lying on the desk.

They were through the back door of the library and over the small wall that ajoined it to the church next door.  Silently, with the woman now in the lead, they ran across the graveyard, over the next wall and into the labryth of streets that formed this part of London.

After a full ten minutes of running at full pelt, she finally allowed him a break. They leant against the brick wall, breathing deeply.  Thomas had not been on active duty for many years, and it showed in his shallow breathing.  His companion however was not having any such problems.  Her eyes darted around the street.

Judging them safe from their pursuers, she held out her hand.  “Mina.”

“Dr. Thomas Hiddleston.”  He grasped her hand and shook it gently.

“I know who you are.”


	2. Chapter 2

_Not so far away_

 

_Before anything else, preparation is the key to success._

_Alexander Graham Bell_

 

_\-----_

 

Vanessa muttered under her breath while she cleaned up the office. She knew that Hiddleston was scatterbrained when it came to everything except his studies, but she hated stumbling over books every few steps. Unlike him she was able to keep her equipment neatly organized and cleaned of all blood in the weapons cabinet.

Just when she was about done, she heard one of the perimeter alarm bells ring. Either Hiddleston had forgotten — again — to think of them or she had uninvited guests.

It was too late in the evening for her to play the part of a secretary who got held up at her work place. She took her Smith & Wesson, turned off the light and went into the hall. She leant against the wall next to the front door and waited.

The wards would alert her to anything non-human trying to cross them. After a minute foot steps could be heard on the gravel outside. Then a key being stuck into the lock. Was it Hiddleston after all? She didn't relax: if it was him he'd have to learn his lesson. The door opened and she clicked the safety off, pointing the gun straight at the head of a young woman. Vanessa took in her black clothes and lithe statue and concluded her to be a trained cat-burglar, probably paid to steal something from them.

The intruder stepped into the hall, raising her hands and turning around slowly. After her another person, seemingly oblivious, came in and the woman dropped into a crouch, thinking Vanessa was distracted. Vanessa stepped out of range of the woman, who lunged at her.

Keeping the weapon trained on the woman, she shuffled back so she could cover both of them with her gun.

The second intruder used the light switch the doctor had insisted on having installed. Of course it turned out to be him, Dr. Hiddleston himself.

“Bailey!” he called out, exasperated. “Whatever are you doing in the dark, brandishing your weapon like that?”

His female companion seemed to relax and stood at ease, while Vanessa was still ready to shoot.

“The perimeter alarm sounded and I suspected intruders,” Vanessa answered, imitating Hiddleston's enunciation. She saw amusement on the other woman's face, but the doctor was oblivious.

“The alarm? Oh yes, I must have forgotten to think of it,” he mumbled and Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Would you now please lower your weapon,” he continued. “We might have been followed here and there isn't much time.”

Vanessa lowered her weapon, but held on to it. Hiddleston nodded and turned to the woman who had been silent so far.

“May I introduce you to Miss Mina...” he paused, but Mina didn't offer her surname. “I met her in the museum and she asked for our help. Mina, this is my colleague, Miss Vanessa Bailey. ”

Mina stepped forward and offered her hand to Vanessa, who shook it after only hesitating slightly.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Mina,” Vanessa said. “If you don't mind, we could retire to the sitting room.”

Vanessa lead Mina to the room where they usually received their guests.

Tom indicated Mina to sit in one of the comfortable chairs, whilst he took another. Vanessa chose to remain standing, still wary of the newcomer.

“So, how can we help you?” Vanessa asked, sensing that with time being of the essence, there was no use in beating around the bush.

“I came to London to honour my family's legacy to protect the Key of St. Peter, after your silly archaeologists took it from it's place,” she began. “Since I know little of England but I was told that Dr. Hiddleston could be trusted, I'll have to take this risk.”

“What is this key and why do you have to protect it?” Vanessa asked and Mina furrowed her brows.

“The Key opens a very dangerous door, which has to stay closed. I can't tell you more at this point, but I hope that you will still help me.”

Hiddleston looked between the both women.

“The book I was translating spoke of a key, but I took it for the ramblings of a crazy mediaeval scholar,” he commented.

“He wasn't crazy,” Mina replied, bristled. “We need to find a place to keep it safe and get those who follow me off my back. I want to take the key back, but it's to dangerous to just carry it around.”

“Since you came straight here, our archive isn't the safest place now. We might have to contact another charter--” Vanessa began, but Mina shook her head forcefully and interrupted her.

“No! Nobody else may hear of this. I'm taking a high risk talking to you, I will not have anybody else know of this!”

“I think, I know a place,” Hiddleston mused. “If you give Miss Bailey and me a few minutes to pack our bags, we can take you to a place where we can hide the key. Then we'll see what to do about your pursuers.”

“My bags are always packed,” Vanessa couldn't help but remark. “I'll fix a tea while we wait for you.” With a wink into Mina's direction, she left for the kitchen, leaving the doctor slightly flustered.

 


	3. Chapter 3

_“Hell is empty, all the devils are here.”_   
_― William Shakespeare_

\-----

Two figures stood in the open doorway of the library.  At first glance one might say they were a gentleman and his butler entering the library on an innocent errand, if it had not been for the fact it was midnight and the rest of the library was deserted.

“I can’t smell anything from here.”  The smaller of the pair, though both stood over 6ft, was dark, with a scruffy beard covering the bottom of his face.  His shoulders were broad, the muscles across his chest evident under his rough, working class shirt and jacket.

“Then get inside, idiot.”  The other brought his hand to his forehead in frustration.  This one was blonder, could even be called red headed if one ever saw him in daylight.  He stood with an elegance and gave one the impression that he was always looking down at you, a classic mark of the aristocracy.  As he adjusted his cufflinks he remarked, “Remind me why I brought you?”

“To make you look good.”  The first chuckled.

“Useless beast.  Get on with it.”

The first figure began to walk slowly up and down the aisles of the library.  Every couple of steps he would sniff the air and cock his head as if digesting the smells within the air.  As he reached the back of the room he called back over his shoulder.  “They went out the back.”

The gentleman of the pair once again held back the full force of his frustration.  “We know that; Vila saw them go.  We need to know who they are and where they are taking the Key.”

The first made a small noise in his throat that could be construed as a growl before he replied.  “I’m weak, it’s the wrong time.”

“We can’t wait a week for a bloody full moon.  Do what you can.”

The one doing the smelling began to make his way back down towards the door, peering and sniffing amongst the reading desks that ran down the middle of the room.  With a start he stopped and sniffed intently around one of them.

“Have you found something?”  The other called as he watched on.

The one by the desk held up a hat, it was a charcoal bowler with a small band, fairly non-descript and hardly Saville Row made.  He held it up to his nose and gave the inside of the brim a big long smell.  He gave a shudder.

The other could not hold his frustration in anymore and began to stride towards his companion.  “Well?”

“Hiddleston.”

“Oh.”  The elegant one stopped in his tracks.  His hand flew instinctively up to his neck where it caressed gently a large scar that was just visible under his collar.  Below the material it ran across his clavicle to the base of his jugular.

“We should tell the others.”  The first man started to show signs of distraction, now that they knew the owner of the hat.  He looked around the library, expecting to be attacked any second, the name was synonymous with trouble within their community.

“Yes… yes we probably should…”  The second looked around and squinted as if seeing more on a different spectrum.  “He wasn't alone…”

He turned around and walked back out of the library, following a scent of his own, untraceable to the normal human senses.  The other caught up with him with several bounding steps and the pair made their way back into the rest of the building.

The tall one held up his hand as they reached the vault.  The door stood open but both knew they wouldn't be able to pass over the threshold.  The crate had been tantalisingly prised open, but stood just beyond their reach.

The sniffer raised himself onto his tip toes trying to peer into the open crate.  “Can you see the book?  If he has the words of the prophet, he would be able to translate that.”  He wrung his hands in panic.  “How are we to know how much he knows?”

“We can't know.  We have to fear the worst.  But…”

“We have to tell the others now we've seen the crate.  Maybe one of them can get get past the warding.”  When his companion did not answer straight away, the dark one eyed the blonde man with suspicion.  “You have that look in your eye, Benedict…”

“Maybe if we handled this ourselves, He would be pleased with us.”

“What are you thinking?  I don't like it when you get like this.”

“Now, now, Christopher, let us make both our species’ proud.  Wouldn’t it satisfy that bitch mother of yours if you were the one to clear the path for the Dark one’s arrival?”

Christopher’s hair bristled, and the light made it appear as if his beard was suddenly longer, and covered more of his face.  “You just want a chance to get your blood sucking revenge on him, don’t you?”

“That would be a nice bonus.”  Benedict smiled as his fangs lengthened and he licked his lips.


	4. Chapter 4

_All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware._

_Martin Buber_

 

\-----

It had not been easy finding a cab at this time of the night, but Bailey was, as always, quite efficient. Thomas carried their bags to the waiting car and opened the door for Bailey and Mina to climb in. Mina was still dressed in her black clothes and still looked very much like a burglar, which did not matter that much in the dark of the night, but they soon would have to get her new clothes.

He ordered the driver to take them to Paddington, via a rather unusual route. Of course the driver complied, as his fare would be much higher this way.

“Mina, you said you trusted me,” he began and Mina frowned.

“I was told I could trust you,” she corrected him.

A bit taken aback he continued: “You can trust Bailey just as much as you trust me.” He hesitated. If she didn't really trust him, that didn’t mean much.

“My plan is to leave London, but first deposit something here.” He stressed 'something' and wiggled his eyebrows, which made Bailey snort. “They wouldn't know we don't have it with us anymore, so we'd lure them away,” he finished and tried to ignore Bailey's amusement

Mina did not look very thrilled at this prospect but nodded slowly.

“We can assume that they don't have Bailey's scent yet. She was stationed on the continent and only came back recently. I'd still trust her with my life,” he stressed before Mina could protest.

“If you'd hand your bag over to her, she can leave the cab on the next corner and join us again at the station. She is an expert at masking her scent and keeping from being tracked.”

He could tell that Mina was fighting hard to come to a decision. Finally she nodded and thrust her bag into Vanessa's arms.

Thomas looked at Bailey who nodded curtly and opened the cab's door. Before the driver could protest, she was out and had closed the door, vanishing in the night.

“You are not telling me where she is going to hide it, right?” Mina asked, looking very unhappy.

“I will tell you, when I am sure we can't be overheard,” Thomas replied.

“Just know, Dr Hiddleston, if the wrong people get their hands on this, there won't be much time for you to regret it,” she hissed and leaned back into her seat, still frowning. She was not going to say anything else, obviously and took to staring into the dark outside.

At a loss for words and not wanting to speak of important things in front of the driver, Thomas leant back mutely, too.

They arrived at Paddington station when the first rays of the sun began to lighten the east. Mina's clothes would soon be noticed, so Thomas bade her to wait for him in the waiting hall, wrapping his coat around her shoulders. Most of her small frame would be covered that way. He went to get their tickets for the next train leaving anywhere north.

With the need for protection and secrecy he thought it best to pay to gain a compartment to themselves. He practically emptied his pocket book of notes into the hands of the teller. He usually left this sort of thing to Bailey, she was much better at this whole organisation thing. As he waited for his tickets, he rubbed his eyes, it had been a long day followed by a long night, and no prospect of a chance to take a breath any time soon, and now very little money to help them.

When he rejoined Mina, Bailey was already sitting next to her. Mina was now dressed in a feminine coat that was fitting her quite well. He shot an inquiring look at Bailey, but she just smiled and nodded slightly.

“The train will be leaving soon for Birmingham. I have managed to get us a compartment to ourselves, so we can temporarily ward it and speak freely.”

Checking the clock over the platform, he nodded at the women.

“If you would follow me now, I think it's time to go.”

They found their compartment without any problem and at this early time of the morning the train was quiet, so the ones to either side were also empty. Thomas took a small vial of oil from his briefcase and poured a drop on the point where the door closed. He murmured something under his breath and their ears popped as if they had climbed a high mountain.

“This should do it,” he announced and smiled at the women. “We can talk freely now.”

Mina turned to Bailey and growled, “Where is the key?”

“The best warded place in London. And quite fitting I may add: Saint Peter's church.”

Mina looked surprised.

“Nobody knows it's there except the three of us. We can retrieve it any time. No creature can get to it.”

Thomas smiled a bit awkwardly.   
“The both of you could retrieve it. I don't think I could – it involves quite a bit of climbing I'm afraid,” he said.

Bailey smiled brightly at him. “Dr. Hiddleston, I plan to get you back in shape, don't worry.”

His eyebrows rose as if on their own account and he cleared his throat. For some reason he wasn't sure if he should take this as a threat or a promise. Neither was he sure if he was looking forward to it or if he was worried. The smiles the both women exchanged were nothing to help him relax, either.

 


	5. Chapter 5

_Wisdom is the light by day and  
Right mindfulness is the protection by night. _

In previous generations their family had been appreciated, their skills revered. The grateful villages kept them in bread and stew, and gave them roofs over their heads throughout the long winters. Yet now the towns and cities did not think they needed them. They began to disbelieve the stories, relegated the atrocities to horror stories that were told to frighten small children and entertain the masses. Yet still her family worked tirelessly, often hungry and with no expectation of a reward, to allow these ignorant masses to sleep soundly. She had stolen her first loaf of bread at six and had killed her first vampire at ten.

Despite everything she was proud. She was Wilhelmina Bukowski, descended from Kristoff von Hermann , the great fourteenth century hunter, and prophet. It was his legacy that was held in the book that lay on Dr Hiddleston’s lap now.

The scholar turned the pages slowly as she watched from the shadows of the corner of the carriage. The train rattled over the tracks, steam billowing past the window. Their third was currently dozing opposite her. Mina admired this ability in the woman, to sleep whenever and wherever she was, despite her years on the road she herself had never mastered it.

“This is most intriguing.” The doctor’s finger ran over the lines of text.

Mina eyed him with both suspicion and awe. Her father had tried to teach her how to translate, but his own skills had been lacking. She had learnt to read the Latin words easily enough, to repeat them, to use them to dispel a foe, but to know the understanding of what they meant was beyond her.

“What is?”

“I first dismissed these words as those of a mad man, but there are some things in here which are too true, and have come to pass since the words were written.” He opened his briefcase that lay beside him on the chair and pulled out a small notebook and a pencil. “The Key? It reads as if it has electromagnetic properties. The likes of which should have been completely alien to those who made it over 1,500 years ago.” He scribbled away and was soon lost in his world of letters.

Mina turned to watch the countryside pass by. She had travelled all over Europe, often by train, but never in first class. Most of the time it had been hidden in freight or, on one scary occasion, hanging from the axles from Warsaw to Krakow.

She settled back into her seat further and tried to sleep. Two weeks ago her life had changed. Her father’s panicked telegram had brought her home, to the stronghold they had built up close the shrine of St. Peter. The archaeologists had been in and out of the shrine before anyone had known what they were doing. They could not have known what they had in their possession. Disturbing the shrine had brought them too. The darker ones.

They had attacked their stronghold in the night. Her father bade her to run, to seek out her aunt, to seek out the Key and protect it with her life. She struggled in his arms, wanting to be of help, wanting to a chance to seek revenge for her mother. Yet he pushed her away, telling her that she was their only hope.

She ran to the hills, watching her father fight for _her_ life. Mina only paused as she heard a familiar laugh rise up amongst the blood curdling screams. The tall figure strode across the courtyard, swiping aside hunters and his fellow monsters alike as if they were mere flies, with one aim in mind, her father. As the vampire known as Benedict reached for her father’s throat, Mina’s scream joined the others. She ran and did not stop to look over her shoulder until she reached Paris.

Her aunt had found her on the outskirts of Paris, bedraggled and weary, half dead with exhaustion. As a rule, those who kept the archives did not get their hands dirty. In the second half of the last century they started building up and organising themselves, they had chapters, and they were recruiting hunters to kill on their instruction. Her aunt had given up a life on the run for the stability that they offered. As she nursed Mina back to health, her aunt told her that she knew that the shipment would be heading to London, and she knew, with a sly, knowing smile, that it would be heading to Dr. Hiddleston.

Mina felt her eyes finally getting heavy and watched through half lids this man who had made her aunt giggle like a schoolgirl, and wondered what the fuss was all about. With his wire framed glasses perched on the end of his nose she could see his eyes properly for the first time. Maybe it was the way his eyes glinted in the early morning light, or how his rough blonde hair was slicked back out of his eyes. Maybe it was his strong jaw or the way his tongue licked his lips, so slowly, as he read the words in front of him.

Mina finally fell asleep to the click clack of the train tracks.

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

_It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce._

_Voltaire_

 

\-----

Jaws clenched Benedict stared after the leaving train. The ticket he had bought crumbled in his fist. They were too late by a few seconds. He had briefly considered to order Christopher to run after the train and try to hold on to it, but he'd never have followed his order without arguing. Apart from that, he knew what that cur would do when he was left on his own devices? He turned around, his coat tails flapping, and Christopher shrank back under his gaze.

“The next train leaves in 2 hours,” the taller man hissed. “By the time we arrive they could be anywhere.”

“At least Vila made it onto the train,” Christopher offered, straightening back up.

“One can only hope that she doesn’t ruin everything,” Benedict spat back. He looked up and winced. The sun was already getting too bright for his eyes. “I will have to wait in the car.” Two hours waisted, with no chance to do anything except waiting and hoping that neither Vila nor Hiddleston did anything to foil his plans.

“Maybe it's time we ask for help?” Christopher asked in a careful tone.

“No. We started this and we will end this.”

 

Meanwhile, on the train, Vila looked out the window and sighed. Of course the two dolts didn't manage to get to the train in time. Sometimes she had the feeling that she had to do everything by herself. Of course, she preferred to be unbound and independent, but against a formidable foe such as Hiddleston she didn't mind hiding behind some muscle.

Behind her somebody cleared his throat and she turned around gracefully.

“Your ticket, please, ma'am,” a man in the uniform of the Railway Company said.

She delicately pushed a few loose strands of her fine, white-blonde hair from her face and smiled brightly at the conductor.

“But, kind sir, you already saw my ticket,” she murmured and widened her big, blue eyes. It seemed there was a purple sheen to them and the conductor just stared at her for a moment, his jaw slack.

“Of course, ma'am. I'm sorry, ma'am. How stupid of me,” he stuttered and turned around. He shook his head, a bit confused and went to pester the next traveller.

Vila smiled at herself and looked around. Her quarry probably travelled first class, so she moved into the direction of the first class compartments. She took her time, smiling leisurely at young fathers, who forgot their wives and children for a moment. Depending on how strong their willpower was, they would just forget her, except for fleeting dreams of longing. The weaker ones would never forget her and forever miss something that they couldn't describe.

She was used to the frowns and suspicious looks of older ladies, but she wasn't interested in their husbands. Their energy was boring and used up. A tilt of her hips was enough to get their attention and she didn't even have to smile to make them think about her.

She strolled through the train, enjoying the fact that time didn't matter. They couldn't escape her as long as the train moved. It was like they were caught in a bubble of timelessness, cut off from everything except their fellow travellers.

She felt Hiddleston's spell even before she was close to their compartment. He had built a ward against listeners, weakening her powers and keeping her from entering. She scowled and stared at the door in front of her. Of course he was careful, but she was far more clever than he was. She was patient and she knew where they were. She could wait.

She joined an elderly gentleman in one of the other first class compartments. He quickly lost his grumpiness and made pleasant conversation with her.

 

Christopher waited outside the car. He was glad for every moment he didn't have to spend with Benedict. Only five days more and it would finally be a full moon again. He longed for the exquisite pain that it would bring him. The rush of power, the strength. He knew that Benedict and Vila thought he was stupid, just a hunk who would do their bidding and hard lifting, but he had his own plans. They weren't as clever as the thought and certainly not as clever as Hiddleston was. But Christopher had some hidden aces up his sleeves. He wasn't counting on the others to think of him, he knew he had to look out for himself.

What puzzled him at the moment was the third scent he had picked up when he followed Hiddleston and the Polish brat. A strange veiled scent, hard to track, but faintly familiar. He suspected it was somebody who helped Hiddleston, maybe another of those damned field-agents. After he had wounded Hiddleston's last helper, he had almost thought they wouldn't sent somebody new, but maybe he just hadn't noticed the addition so far.

He pretended to be bored and whistled a toneless tune. Probably Benedict would hear it and cuss him out for it later. He loved playing those little games with the other man. Pretending to be slow and stupid, trying to make him think he was the brains and Christopher was following him like a devoted puppy. But he'd be surprised. They'd all be surprised. Hiddleston, the Key Warden, that colourless bitch Vila, he would show them what he was made of.

 


	7. Chapter 7

_Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices._

_Alfred A. Montapert_

\-----

The crash was deafening.  The carriage shook and the passengers were thrown everywhere.  There were screams and darkness.  Her head throbbed and she was sure her leg felt a little numb.  The dark did not frighten her, her injuries she could cope with, and her methodical mind could overcome the panic others felt in such an emergency situation but this was still her worst nightmare.

“Bailey!  Bailey!”  Thomas’ voice was somewhere to her left.  “VANESSA!”

She groaned in response.  This was not happening.  Not again, she could not be trapped.  The claustrophobia would choke her.

_She would later know that it was South Africa, but to her it was heaven.  The seemingly endless summer, the thousands of playmates and the sweet fruit that filled her stomach.  Brigadier Bailey kept his household in line as he did his troops.  Vanessa was no different.  For all the pleasures of the world around her, her day was regulated with a strict timetable and her behaviours curbed with the cane.  There was a war, she knew about this for her father spoke of troops and manoeuvres with his colonels and would often disappear for weeks at a time._

_Then one day, it was too much.  The sun was warm and the wide savanna called to her.  For hours she roamed the wide open space, some animals ran, others came closer with curiosity.  She picked flowers and made a small bunch for her muuguzi.  She began to grow hungry as the sun hit its peak and looked around for some shelter.  An outcrop of rock gave shade and a nearby fig gave her a small and unsatisfying lunch.  The thump of the artillery gun was muted, yet the landslide shifting above her head was not.  She crumpled into the smallest size she could as the rocks fell.  She tried to move but she was pinned in all directions by the heavy boulders.  She sobbed.  She was going to die.  She knew what dying was, it was no longer being in the world.  Like her mother._

_After a long time there came a noise, a voice.  A small quiet unassuming voice of a boy.  He said he knew she was in there, he said he knew that she was not hurt for he smelt no blood, and to hold still for he would get her out.  Vanessa knew that no boy could move the rocks.  She screamed out and told him her name, she told him who her father was, to get help, and the soldiers would move the rocks.  The rock over her head moved slightly.  She screamed again for him to get help, but he assured her everything would be alright.  The rock disappeared and as she moved to shade her eyes from the sudden burst of sunlight, his arms reached into the small cavity and pulled her free._

_The boy clung to her, and she to him.  Her small five year old frame huddled into his larger one.  She guessed he was early teens, though she felt the strength already present in the taut muscles that held her close.  He promised to stay with her until her father’s men found them.  They sat like that for hours, just waiting.  Yet as the moon rose over the horizon, he reneged, he pulled his arms from her, and with a small look of disappointment he ran into the hills of the savanna.  His rough scent filled her nostrils for hours after, even when she had been found and carried back to her father’s house.  It was only years later, after she had completed her training that she learnt to recognise the smell.  Werewolf._

“BAILEY!”

Her mind snapped back into place.  Escape.  They had to escape, they had no way of knowing if this was an accident or the result of an act by one of their pursuers.  Quickly her mind assessed the situation.  The carriage lay at a 45 degree angle to the ground, the window facing down.  Below them, she could just make out the gravel that made up the floor of the tunnel.  Behind her, Mina seemed to be unhurt and just as dazed as she was in the circumstances.  However Thomas clung to his arm, and she could see a stream of blood seeping into his shirt sleeve.  She hoped it was nothing more than a cut, her field triage skills were not her best asset.

The heel of her boot went through the window, shattering the glass.  Using her elbow she cleared the shards and jumped through to the floor below.  Looking back up, she saw Thomas preparing to toss down his briefcase with the precious manuscript in it, whilst Mina held him up.

“The train was heading north, we need to get out of this tunnel and turn east.”  She helped the pair down.

“Why east?”  Mina adjusted her clothing as they peered down the tunnel.  Other passengers were starting to emerge, and they knew that the train staff would soon be contacting the authorities.

“To the west is Wales.  The last thing we want to encounter are the beasts of Wales.”

“I’ve seen the beasts of Russia.  They can’t be that bad.”  Mina’s eyes showed her scepticism.

Thomas and Vanessa shared a look, before Thomas added.  “The Russians don’t have dragons.”


	8. Chapter 8

_Make every bargain clear and plain, that none may afterwards complain.               Proverb_

\-----

 

Bailey didn't let them stop for nearly half an hour stumbling through the dense woods. It was hard to tell their direction, but she insisted on hurrying on.

“There had to be agents of the enemy on that train,” she insisted and her voice didn't allow any protest.

Thomas grid his teeth and tried to match the women's pace. They were already going slower than they had to, because of him. He vowed to start some kind of training again, his form was too bad for this.

Suddenly Bailey stopped dead in her tracks. She cursed and held up a hand. Mina and Thomas froze on the spot and didn't dare to talk or move a muscle. Slowly Bailey turned around.

“Don't move,” she mouthed and looked at her feet. Thomas' gaze followed hers and he gulped.

Bailey was standing in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by freakishly large mushrooms that formed a perfect circle. Mina was also standing inside the circle, while he was still outside.

For a moment nobody dared to say anything or even breath.

In a low voice, Thomas finally said: “Move very, very quietly and slowly to the nearest edge.” His gaze travelled around the clearing. “It's daytime and so far nobody showed up, you didn't bleed on the grass and I'm still outside.”

Mina moved into his direction, taking one careful step after another. When she reached the row of mushrooms he offered her his hand, and she hopped over the barrier.

“They weren't there just seconds ago,” she whispered and he nodded. “It's a trap. Let's just hope nobody lay in waiting.”

Slowly Bailey moved across the clearing. She was closer to the other side of the ring, so Thomas and Mina went to meet her. All three of them tried to move as silently as possible and Thomas had the feeling he was like an ox compared to the women.

Just when Bailey moved to take the final step, they heard laughter ringing through the clearing. Next to Bailey a form unveiled, revealing a slim, tall figure. A hand shot out, gripping Bailey's wrist. She froze, not daring to look at her captor. Thomas calmed his mind, fighting the bubbling panic by analysing the situation.

Item 1: Bailey was caught inside a fairy ring.

Item 2: Her captor was a male elf, tall, carrying a sword.

Item 3: The elf ignored Thomas and Mina, concentrating on Bailey.

Problem: Getting Bailey out of the circle, without breaking it or attacking the elf.

Solution: A deal.

He cleared his throat and called out: “Dear sir, if you would unhand my associate, I would make it worth your while.”

Mina tensed beside him. He couldn't communicate his plan to her and he feared she might try to break the circle or fight the elf. He looked at her, smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring way and slightly shook his head.

Bailey had stiffened completely, probably under the control of the elf's magic. The elf turned to face Thomas, a feral grin on his face.

“A deal? What makes you think you can offer me something more tasty than her?” the elf asked, his voice sweeter than a church choir. Thomas shook his head again, fighting against the underlying magic of the elf's voice. It told him to just step into the ring and not worry. He'd be with Bailey and everything would be fine.

“I have a fatter bounty for you,” Thomas offered.

The elf cocked his head, considering the offer.

“But this one pleases me immensely. She's more than she seems. She's proud and clever and beautiful. I don't know if anything would make me want to trade.”

Thomas grid his teeth. “I can offer you three things, then. The bounty, a secret and a truth,” he said, hoping this would catch the elf's attention. The elf stepped around Bailey to face her. He traced her face with a finger and smiled. “Why don't you open your eyes, my beauty? I can make you feel so good,” he crooned and Thomas saw Bailey shiver.

“I'm offering you the secret right now!” he yelled and the elf turned back to him.

“Spill it,” he hissed.

“We hid a thing of great importance in St. Peter's cathedral,” Thomas said and beside him Mina groaned.

“Oh, this is a secret of much worth. That little woman's reaction proves it quite nicely,” the elf pondered. “I think I will take your deal.”

He lead Bailey to the edge of the clearing, close to where Thomas stood.

“Tell me the truth,” the elf demanded.

“The truth is: if you tell anybody our secret, you might bring on your own destruction,” Thomas answered. The elf looked at him and after a moment nodded.   
“A good truth,” he said and nodded to Bailey, who stepped over the mushrooms.

“My bounty!” the elf cried, when the three of them turned to leave.

“There is a creature in your forest, following us. It's a formidable foe. You can either hide and take this as a warning. You can take offence and hunt it. Or you can watch us fight it,” Thomas said.

The elf nodded and a pleased grin spread over his features.

“I like you, man-child. I will consider my options. Thank you for this trade,” he said. The three of them turned again. The elf's voice rose again behind them.

“Vanessa, I will not forget you. If you think of me, I will know it. You wouldn't be able to pronounce my name, nor would I give it to you, but if you call for Lee, I will hear it,” he said and Thomas could feel Bailey shiver beside him.

They hurried off, more careful now, but aware of how much time it had cost them.

On the clearing the elf wave a hand and the mushrooms disappeared.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Well that did not go to plan.

Vila pulled herself from the wreckage with little more than a glance at the mangled body of the driver.  How was she to know that he would speed the train up instead of slowing it down as her supple body had moulded into his.

She dropped to the floor without a sound and made her way the short distance out of the tunnel.  As her feet made contact with the grass she sighed with content.  Her form preferred to be amongst the natural world, man made things felt constricting.  She settled down into the embankment under a tree and watched the humans mingle about.  All she had to do was sit and wait and her prey would come to her.

After a frustratingly long two hour wait with no sign of them, a bus appeared to take the passengers onto the next station.  Vila stood up in alarm as she realised her careless mistake.  Tunnels had two exits.

 

Christopher watched the hustle and bustle across the station.  His fingers prickled as he sensed the agitation growing across the concourse.  Something was happening.  He stood up straighter as he watched uniformed guards run from platform to platform.  He tapped on the dark glass of the automobile and the window opened a crack.

“Something’s happened to the train.”

“Are you sure?”  Benedict’s hiss came from the darkness inside the car.

“People are in a panic, it’s the only explanation.”

“Find out and let me know.”

Christopher changed almost imperceptibly and he became one of the crowd.  He wandered over to ticket office and leant nonchalantly against the wall as he listened.  He listened to the conversation in the ticket office, to the conversation in the rooms beyond and he listened to the station master even further beyond talking on the telephone to the engineers.

With a sly smile he wandered back.  This time he did not bother with the window, he simply climbed into the driver’s seat.  “Derailed, GWR have cancelled everything north of Oxford.”

Benedict scoffed, as if the news was not news to him.  “Vila will have had a hand in this somehow, we need to be up there before she does something… messy.  Get us moving and don’t spare the whip.”

Christopher turned the engine over.  “The combustion engine was something that happened to other people, wasn’t it?”  He quipped sarcastically.

“Just drive.”

 

Vila caught their scent, or rather his scent.  They had passed this way several hours before her.  She cursed and she trudged, she trudged and she cursed.  She cursed herself for her own stupidity, she cursed Benedict for even dragging her into this mess in the first place.  She cursed the damned humans for escaping her, and as an afterthought, cursed the human race for ever existing.  This was an afternoon to curse all and sundry.  She began to wonder who else she could curse when the air in front of her shimmered.

“That’s all I need.”  She waved her hand to dissipate the shimmering light.  “Lee, you bastard elf-son of a fairy whore, stop spying on me!”

She trudged on feeling no better for adding to her list of curses.

 

The ancient pool reflected the dappled dusk light as the Elf King slipped deeper into his trance.  His long fingers reached out and touched the surface of the water.  All around fairies and elves peeked out from behind the trees and inched closer.  The king rarely scryed these days, they did not need to strain to see the world of humans anymore, it surrounded them, and encroached on their lands.  This was an event to bear witness to.

As they waited, holding their breath, the king’s fingers traced a complicated pattern on the water’s surface and it stilled, cleared, and became as a mirror.  Some shied away again, but some, younger and bolder elves leant over, yet they could not see what the king saw.

Slowly the king began to wake from his trance and stared deep into the pool as his voice rang over the water.  “The humans have found haven for the night within an inn.  The unbeautiful one is binding the man-child’s arm.  My Vanessa is pacing.”  He gave a small chuckle of satisfaction, “She thinks of me, but dares not allow herself to think that she does.”

His fingers moved again, and he peered towards a different part of the pond.  “The nymph-devil has their scent but is many miles behind them.”  He snorted as her words reached his ears.  He had no qualms about spying on her.  There was no love lost there in at least several centuries.

“Ah ha, but what is this?  The blood sucker and the wolf head to the very same inn in a motorcar, unknowing that their quarry resides there.  This is going to be very interesting.”

The king’s adjutant edged closer to his commander.  “What shall we do my Lord?”

The elf sat back on his haunches and smiled at his people.  “We watch, and wait.”


	10. Chapter 10

_So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak._   
_― Sun Tzu_

 

\-----

It was only just after dark, but the inn already lay silent. Everybody had retired to their rooms; Mina sleeping, relaxed yet still able to wake at the smallest suspicious sound. Vanessa was in the room next door, passing and fretting. She was nervous and her thoughts were whirling, but she couldn't find a reason. It couldn't be Lee, it shouldn't be Lee, it mustn't be Lee.

Thomas sat in the light of an electric lamp, reading the prophet's words again. He knew that this wild goose chase would soon come to an end and that they'd have to get back to London to find a permanent solution for the key. He knew that it couldn't simply be destroyed, even though that would be the way he'd prefer. Mina would want to bring it back to her family, but he wasn't even sure if there was a family to come back to for her. Not to speak of guaranteed safety for the key.

He scribbled notes into his notebooks, using the shorthand he had learned from his mentor. It wasn't undecipherable, but everybody except him would need days to gather the meaning.

He wondered what he was missing. Something in the text should give him a clue, what the key was for exactly. He had found a passage about two pairs of three: the fang, the beauty and the moon, who stood against the book, the sword and the shadow. He guessed who this meant, but what followed worried him. It sounded as if three had to die, but that it didn't mean that it would three of one group. The prophet had indeed described some modern events in surprising details, but the rational part of Thomas didn't quite believe it.

Far away he thought he heard a wolf howling and shivered. Would the show-down come so soon?

 

“Idiot,” Benedict hissed and kicked Christopher against the shin. “You're not supposed to warn them!”

Christopher growled and glowered at the taller man.  “I am not at my strongest. I need to collect my strength. I need to concentrate,” he enunciated every word very clearly and Benedict nearly took a step back.

“Can't you do it more silently?” he asked after he had caught himself.

“Boys, boys,” Vila interjected. “Please keep calm. We have to stand united.”

The men didn't look very convinced nor united, but stopped bickering. Vila nodded and smiled. She was the born leader and finally the men saw it.

“Now we can attack,” Christopher said, making Vila turn around, frowning.

“The plan is to surprise them. Each of us takes on of them,” droned Benedict, as Vila's frown deepened.

“I take Hiddleston,” said Christopher and stretched his neck, making it crunch.

“No, I still have to settle a score with him,” Benedict snarled.

“Stop it!” Vila screeched, her face contorting for a moment, showing something decidedly not lovely. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was a picture of beauty and grace again.

“I will take on the man. He is untrained and will likely be distracted by my powers. You can take the fighter and the thief. You will have your shot at revenge later. Right now we have to relieve them of the key and the book and bring them back to London.”

 

Vanessa had stopped pacing and sat on her bed, wringing her hands. She had tried to sleep, but once she lay down and closed her eyes, she saw a silver gaze meeting hers, looking into her soul. She had already cleaned her Smith & Wesson twice, had checked the knives that were hidden in her boots, had oiled the garotte that was hidden in her cloak and all the other weapons she carried. She sighed and decided to go down to the kitchen to see if she could get some warm milk – the stove was probably still warm enough.

As she had habit to, she dressed in her full garb before leaving her room, her father's voice always in the back of her mind: “Be prepared!”

She passed Thomas' room, still seeing light shining under the door. For a moment she wondered if she should knock and talk to him, but something stopped her. It seemed to intimate. He was a colleague after all, albeit a very attractive one. But her thoughts were too private, as were her worries at this time.

She didn't bother to take a light with her, as she had familiarized herself with the inn and found her way easily in the darkness. The kitchen was open – the innkeeper had told them to take a snack if the needed to. As she had hoped the stove was still warm. She poured herself some milk and put the mug upon the stove. It would take some time to get warm, but that was time she didn't have to sit alone in her room.

 

“The scentless one is in the kitchen,” whispered Christopher, when he came back to his peers who huddled under the trees close to the inn.  “I don't know what she's doing, but I guess I can surprise her.

“Then take the door at the back. Vila and I will take the main entrance and go upstairs.”

Christopher sprinted back to the inn. He edged along the wall and soon reached the back door. It was no problem to break the door open and he mastered it without a sound. Sneaking through a small corridor, he stopped to listen at the door to the kitchen. He could hear her and smell her faint smell. Something was so familiar about it. He shook his head and broke through the door, hoping to startle her.

Vanessa was only surprised for a split second, then her instincts kicked in. The moment her smell hit him and with it the knowledge of who she was, the mug of hot milk caught him right in the face.


	11. Chapter 11

_Stronger by weakness, wiser men become. - Edmund Waller_  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Vila moved swiftly leaving Christopher and Benedict behind to their task, she was not entirely confident in their abilities at the best of times but she knew she could triumph if only they can hold off the temporary annoyances travelling with Hiddleston. She could see light from under the door of what she presumed was his room. She inhaled taking in the scent of him through the door and felt a smile tug at her lips. He was troubled enough but the added adrenaline and nerves would make him a treat truly worth savouring.

She heard crashing and various shouts from down the stairs.. she would not have much time, pulling the door open she was greeted by the sight of Dr Hiddleston holding a cricket bat aloft. This was going to be too easy.  She held his stare, his pupils were blown out with fear but soon they would dilate for other reasons.

“Don’t be a fool Doctor,” she scoffed as he backed up against the wall. She knew he wouldn’t strike her, it went against every instinct in his nature.  “I rather think you need to put the bat down and we can discuss this.”

She quickly bolted the door and turned back to face him using her most seductive grin. The way she walked over to him was pure sin, an ages old call to the weakness of men. Vila flipped her hair to one side and beckoned him with a finger, he stayed taut remaining pressed against the wall, his chest rose and fell with little shallow breaths.

“I’m not here to hurt you Doctor, I’m here to discuss business with you. You have something I would like and I? Well Doctor I have something you will most certainly like.”  Vila gave an exaggerated roll of her hips as she ventured closer still towards Tom.

Two more steps and she stood a mere inch away from him, he could smell her perfume if she was indeed wearing any, whatever it was the smell was intoxicating. He found himself taking another breath and the faintest hint of a smile played on his lips. Vila could sense his resolve slipping and she hadn’t even placed a finger on him. This would be a triumph she would hardly need to work for.  He was caught under her spell now, his arms slowly descended and he dropped the bat on the floor.

“Good boy.” she purred.  
  
He was trying. Lord knows he was fighting a battle within himself but her presence was simply overwhelming and reduced him to a vessel of aching desirous need.

“No..” He pleaded as she took his earlobe between her teeth, gently nipping him.

The shock made his cock twitch and Vila sensed his arousal increasing. Soon he would be a helpless wretch willing to acquiesce to her demands and hand over what she needed.  Slowly she ran a finger down his torso letting it trial dangerously close to his rather prominent erection tenting up the front of his trousers.

“Oh Doctor.. are you truly going to refuse me? Your body seems to know what it wants. Shall I tell you what it wants?” Her finger met the sensitive head of his cock through the tightly stretched material.

Thomas shook his head, closed his eyes tightly and tried to move. It felt like he was chained to the spot. Vila lightly circled the tender spot watching as a small patch of wetness soaked through his trousers.

“It wants to be out of these hideous clothes, it wants to be free..standing thick and proud.”  He let out a hiss as she cupped him tightly.  “It wants to be engulfed within a hot, wet cunt.”  His knees buckled and Vila laughed darkly, her fingers eagerly pulled the zipper down bringing his cock out into her hand. “My, my Doctor! Such a delightful gift you have for me.”

She pushed him on to the bed and snatched at his trousers, material tore and then he was naked underneath her. “Such an exquisite sight you are..” She licked down his defined chest and gave him soft kisses against his lower abdomen.

Thomas felt as if his body was no longer his own, his hips moved of their own accord. Vila took him in her mouth, Tom gave a moan as her tongue swirled on that most sensitive spot teasing him skilfully. Without wasting time she removed her clothes with an inhuman rapidness.

“Oh Doctor Thomas, I need you inside me.” she urged him, letting her cunt rub tantalisingly against him.

He was so far gone now, powerless to resist her overwhelming womanly charms.  He had tried, none would begrudge him surely?  Vila impaled herself on him with a cry and Thomas let out a shout, she felt utterly divine.  No other woman had aroused him like this before, she awakened a part of him which he had thought to ignore.

“Yes..take me you bitch..take me!” His thrusts became harder and more in tune with his raw lust. Nothing else mattered now to him apart from rutting her like a beast.  He rolled her onto her back and Vila found her hands at his shoulders, her nails leaving marks in his tender flesh.  A large hand gripped at her throat and Vila felt her own twisted desire meeting Thomas'.

“Do as I say! Give me the key! Give me the book and I will allow you pleasure you have only dared to dream of..do you agree?”

His balls slapped furiously against her as he pistoned roughly into her drenched cunt.  

Vila dug her nails deeper still into his flesh “I said do you agree?” she clenched her muscles along his length and tore a cry from him.

Thomas felt like the top of his head would explode, his entire body was tight and climbing for a release he had never thought the human body capable of.  “I agree! Yes! Yes..ah.” his climax was waves of bliss, he turned limp and found himself chanting “oh fuck..oh fuck!” while Vila cackled darkly.  The weak fool!

A loud whumpf noise was heard and Tom slumped forward heavily, Vila squirmed trying to wriggle away before Mina brought the bat down with all her might and then blackness..silence.

Mina was not taking any chances and pulled out the rope.


	12. Chapter 12

_The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it...  I can resist everything but temptation._

_Oscar Wilde_

 

Mina snored softly, and rolled over on the mattress, now finally comfortable.  The room had stifled her, its thick stone walls and heavy oak doors, even the bed was heavy iron with heavy blankets and sheets.  She felt claustrophobic, so used to being outside either on hunts or on the run, that she was only able to fall asleep with the windows wide open to the wind.

The unmistakable sound of wings against the window pane woke her.  The first squeak brought her to her feet with the stake in her hand.

“My, my, dearest Wilhelmina.”  The bat unfurled in front of her and the tall figure of Benedict appeared before her.

She did not dignify him with a verbal answer, the stake touched the vampire’s chest just as his long nails dug into her throat.

Mina breathed deeply.  “I’ve waited a long time for this.  And now there is nothing stopping me ramming this into your chest.”

The laugh filled her ears.  “Apart from the fingers which will snap your neck before it gets through my suit, so we are at an impasse.”

“You have to pay for your crimes.  For the people you killed.”

“Like your father?  Like your mother?  Your father’s blood runs through my veins now.  He died screaming, just as your mother had…  As will you…”

“If I die, I am taking you with me.”  Mina pushed a little harder into his chest.

He looked down at the point marking his suit as he shifted his fingers to gain a better advantage.  “I like you.  I always have, a girl with that level of pluckiness would be a welcome addition to my little… family.”

Mina’s eyes grew wide.  “You want to turn me?”  She spat in his face.

Benedict’s fingers tightened a little more and she could feel a thin trail of blood trickled down her neck.  She felt the warm liquid begin to seep into her shirt.  Join him or die.  He had left her with no alternative.  Or so he thought.  She drew a sharp breath as the thin vial dropped down her sleeve into her waiting palm.

“You’re tempted.”  He smirked.  “It can be a good… life.”

That was her cue, she threw the vial of holy water, knowing he would react in one of two ways.  He did not jump; he transformed.  So she leapt.  The chamber pot was over him before he had a chance to lift a foot off the ground.  She was only sorry she had not had a chance to use it before now.  To cover him in her excrement would have been a sight to behold.  As her foot stopped the pot and the bat from rising, for even in that small form he had strength, she looked around the room for a heavy object to keep him confined.  The bedside cabinet was the only thing heavy, within reach and moveable on her own.  She flipped the piece of furniture over and swapped out her foot.  The squeaking came louder again.

It was then that she realised that Benedict was not one to travel alone, and he never got his hands dirty if he could help it.  There would be others, she had to warn Thomas and Vanessa.

Her instinct told her to go to Thomas’ room first, yet she both had to pass Vanessa’s room, and though she was not used to such things, she suspected the etiquette would be to visit her female companion first.

There was no light from under the door of Vanessa’s room, and when Mina tried the door it opened easily and the field agent was nowhere to be seen.  She could not think on searching for her now, in the short time that she had known her, she knew she would be more than capable of taking out any of Benedict’s stooges.  Thomas on the other hand…

There was still light under his door as she crept closer.  Mina risked to turn the handle but the bolt caught.  Confused she rattled it before the noises from within reached her ears.  The sly devils had allocated their adversaries well, Thomas was a sweet, yet weak, man, and there was no mistaking the modus operandi of a sex nymph.  The Vila would be upon him and he would offer very little resistance.  She ran back to her own room, ignoring the squeaking still echoing around the porcelain and found her door kit.  Within seconds she managed to shift the bolt and push the door open enough to slip inside.  There was no mistaking now that the she-devil had the upper hand as Thomas rutted into her with abandon.  Mina glanced around the room quickly trying to ignore the tingling within her own body that told her that she would give anything to swap places with the nymph.

That was when she spied the cricket bat by her feet.  She had one chance and if she took out Thomas, the Vila’s power would diminish, so as she said a silent apology, brought the bat down over Thomas’ head.


	13. Chapter 13

_It takes one person to forgive, it takes two people to be reunited._

_Lewis B. Smedes_

 

\-----  
  


Christopher reeled back, the milk not hot enough to do damage, but distracting enough to give Vanessa time to grab a heavy pan and a knife. Her body slipped into fighting stance all on its own and she was ready to face the creature in front of her.

To her surprise, Christopher didn't move. He cleaned his face with his sleeves and just looked at her. She frowned, her eyes darting between him and the door to the main room – did he expect an ally? What did he know that she didn't?

“It's you,” he murmured, his face slack and of wondrous awe.

“What do you mean?” she hissed, getting nervous.

“Don't you remember me?” he asked and stepped towards her. He raised his hand and she shook her head.

“Not one step further!”

He froze and a hint of desperation crept into his voice, pleading: “But you have to remember me! Africa!”

Vanessa cocked her head. Was this creature crazy? Was this some kind of stunt to confuse her? But something about him did seem familiar. He had crept nearer and now she could smell the distinct odour, the smell of a werewolf. Her eyes widened.

“No, you're not him, you can't be!” she exclaimed and his eyes lit up.

“You do remember me! Our time together, under the rocks. You were so afraid and so brave...”

With two steps he was at her side, expecting an attack she brazed herself to use his body-mass against him, but he embraced her. One arm wrapped around her waist, the other holding her head, he nuzzled into her hair and breathed her scent in deeply. Of course he'd never been able to smell her – her smell was a part of him and who could smell himself?

“I'll never leave you again,” he murmured.

  
  


After she had dragged Doctor Hiddleston off Vila, Mina manoeuvred her into a chair and bound her tightly with her rope. She took a handkerchief out of the doctor's coat and stuffed it into the creature's mouth, though she mad sure not to choke her.

A groan from the man behind her made her turn around. He had managed to get himself into a sitting position, leaning against the bed. He held his head, a pained expression on his face. Mina knelt beside him and gently pried away his hand, checking if she did any damage. There was no blood and though the spot where she had hit him was tender to the touch, nothing seemed broken.

“You're going to be okay,” she said and rested a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and suddenly she was very, very aware of his nakedness and their proximity. She moved to scramble away, but he lay his hand on top of hers.

“You saved me,” he whispered. “I would have ruined anything. I would have given her everything and for what?”

“Shh,” Mina tried to calm him down. “She used her vile magic on you. It's not your fault.” Awkwardly she patted his knee, but immediately snatched her hand away. He was so... naked. And very... manly. She felt a blush creep into her face.

“Mina, what would I do without you?” he asked and his eyes were brimming with tears. His pupils were still dilated and he was slurring his words, as if he was drunk.

“There, there, I'm here for you,” she murmured, trying to keep her eyes from wandering over his arms, his chest, his legs... She stared up at the ceiling, which seemed to be the only save place to look at. But she still could smell him, a bit musky, manly, a hint of old books. She sighed and moved back, but he was having none of it. His arm snaked around her waist and he drew her closer. To not loose her balance completely she clutched as his back and her face came to rest on his shoulder.

“Mina,” he whispered and buried his hand in her hair. She raised her head and suddenly his lips brushed against hers. She looked at him and he smiled. Her heart beat faster and she closed her eyes. There was something she had to take care of. She had to tell him something. She opened her eyes again and felt as if she was to be about to drown in his eyes. He kissed her softly and all her resolves and doubts melted. She opened her lips and let her tongue dart over his lips. He groaned softly and his tongue met hers. Fire seemed to run through her veins and she was even more aware of his soft skin, warm under her hands. He explored her mouth and one of his hands slipped down to the soft flesh of her breasts. She became aware of an aching emptiness inside of her and her instinct told her that only he could fill it. She broke their kiss and was about to get rid of her clothing when a crashing sound from the other room startled her, making her jump up. Thomas only looked up at her with obvious confusion.

“Benedict!” she exclaimed and rushed over to her room. Either he was stronger than she had thought or he had somehow changed back – the bedside cabinet and the chamber pot were lying on the floor, upturned and there was no sign of Benedict. Mina cursed herself. She had lost her mind and had let their worst enemy escape. At least Vila was under control. But what about Vanessa? Mina rushed down the stairs, stumbling through the dark. There was light in the kitchen and as she came running around the corner into the room, she found Vanessa arm in arm with a man.

Vanessa looked up at Mina and smiled through tears in her eyes.

“I found him, Mina, I found the boy who saved me!”

With a mixture of confusion and horror Mina looked at the man, who was obviously one of Benedict's helpers.

“Now that I found her, I will never let any harm come to her,” he said and looked at Vanessa with a look full of love. All Mina could do was sit down on a footstool and shake her head.

  
  


  
  


 


	14. Chapter 14

_The enemy of mine enemy is my friend – Sanskrit proverb_

 

A thunderstorm was occurring 230 miles north of the inn.  It was an unnatural thunderstorm in that it was very much centred on several square yards of earth in the centre of a ring of stones atop an ancient barrow.  The locals knew to avoid the place; bad things happened there, yet good things did too.  However one was not to know for which fortune you were destined, until it was often too late.

The thunder rolled around the hill and two bolts of lightning struck the ground simultaneously throwing up earth and fauna into a dust cloud.  The cloud swirled and churned to further unseeing winds and in the light of the waxing gibbous moon two figures began to form.

To the right a tall slender lady, dressed in pale, silver robes with hair to match, uncurled from the bloom of a flower on the ground.  She had an ageless beauty and was related to the Vila, and men did fall in love on first sight, but it was a love of the world that they felt.  A passionate love, but not one full of sexual urges.  Where her feet touched the ground the earth began to be reborn and the grass grew greener and fuller.

To the left a shorter man, dressed in robes the colour of spruce trees, grew like one of its saplings from the earth.  His dark hair was swept away from his face which itself was adorned with a pointed goatee beard.  His face was youthful and whilst he smiled he too instilled a love within those around him, but if the smile started to drop, it would already be too late.  Under his feet the grass withered further and a black rot set in.

The lady turned to face her companion and spoke first, her soft Scottish lilt filled the air like a sweet melody.  “This does not concern the Unseelie.”

“But it does.  The Seelie are not the only ones with prophesies.”  His accent could be said to match hers, except for the hard edge and the threatening manner that filled every vowel.

“You are siding with Him.”

“Naturally.  It is what we do best.”  His tone and the inclination of his head spoke as if he was answering a small child’s irritating question for the hundredth time.  “And I think for once we have the upper hand.”

“And how do you come to that conclusion?  Your Beauty is tied, your Fang has fled, and your Moon is on the verge of defecting.”

“Ahh, but your Book and Shadow have a love for each other that will be their downfall.  And who’s to say the Moon will not convert the Sword to our side?”

Ruffled, she succumbed to his game of one-upmanship.  “We have more players in the field than you.  The Elf King will help us succeed.”

“Ha!  That self-centred fool will only play whilst he has something to gain.”  He licked his lips.  “Besides, it does not do well to place all of one’s cards on the table at once.  Your heroes have yet to face our best.”

She narrowed her eyes, as if to judge the truthfulness of his words.  “Then do not let me detain you for any longer that is necessary, if you must _shuffle your deck_ as you so threaten.”

He bowed low, and a pair of beetle wings, the colour of his robes and translucent in the moonlight, sprouted from his spine.  “Lady Tilda.”

Her bow to him was not quite as deep, she would keep that dignity.  The wings she sprouted resembled those of a dragonfly and every colour of the rainbow could be seen within them.  “Lord James.”

James laughed as he lifted off the ground and began to fly south.  “I look forward to seeing you in hell when this is all over.”

“I will send you there and you will rot there, but I will never join you.”  Her words fell on empty air, with irritation she spread her own wings and followed at a pace after him.

 

In the heart of the city of London, 310 miles south of the standing stones, in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, stands the church of Saint Peter.  At that moment a dark figure was entering the church.  It strode down the central aisle of the nave at its leisure, looking left and right at the stained glass, its fingers brushing over the tops of the pews.  Its meandering brought it to the foot of the stairs that lead to the clock tower.  Only now did they pause and glance around them.  Their eyes flashed briefly in the moonlight filtering through the windows before they turned and began to make their way up the long winding passage that lead to the top.  At the first level they reached the mezzanine that looked over the alter and through to the nave.  Once again the figure paused and looked down.  Satisfied that they were alone they climbed again, reaching the level that housed the clock and its bells.  Midnight tolled ominously as they passed the crunching cogs that kept the time and headed towards the last staircase.  The intruder’s hand smudged away the hurriedly chalk drawn warding symbols, and the night air hit as the trapdoor swung upwards.  They silently counted the stones from right to left, and with little more than a push to its top right hand corner, the fifth stone clicked and popped away from the wall.  The dark figure reached inside carefully and extracted the small bag contained within.  After pausing to check that it contained their prize, the figure closed everything up and headed back down the way they came.

No one had seen them arrive, and no one had seen them leave.  Nonetheless all would soon be subjected to the ramifications of their actions.


	15. Chapter 15

_It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead.  The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time. ― Winston Churchill_

 

 

The dawn light peeked over the horizon as the small form of a bat crawled its way into the rocky opening that lead to the cave system.  With a show of his fangs the indigenous population scattered and he was left alone.  Benedict unfurled and, despite his exhaustion and bruised shoulder, he began to pace and curse.  The click of his shoes echoed around the dank darkness.

“You’ll wear out your shoes.”

Benedict spun, fangs bared and reached for the throat of the one who spoke.  Yet his hand grasped at thin air.  The green sprite flittered gracefully out of the way.

“You are no more than a beast than those than you choose to spend time with.”  The flittering form continued to move around, tantalising out of Benedict’s hand.

“Speaks the fairy who lies with the foxes and the snakes.  I had my fill of you and your Unseelie, many moons ago, Lord James.”  Benedict spat out the honorific.

“I make no excuses for what I am.”  The green sprite floated in the air, lazily inspecting his nails.  “I, unlike some, do not put on human airs and graces and try to pass myself as a gentleman.”

Benedict, tired of the banter, took a seat on a nearby rock.  “I am weary, imp.  Tell me your business so I may sleep.”

A broad smile crossed the fairy’s face, seemingly happy with the annoyance he was causing the vampire.  “Then I will not tarry longer.  He is disappointed in your failure.”

“I have not failed.”  Benedict bristled and pulled his shoulders back.  His fangs lengthened involuntarily.

James scoffed.  “No?  Then where is the Key?  Where is the manuscript?  And for that matter, where are your companions?”

“Those fools were holding me back.”

“Those fools were the ones keeping you alive.”  James managed to duck out of the way, as Benedict lunged once more.  “My snakes that you so despised have gone to free the Vila.  And my foxes are on the scent of the others.  You, and I, are to head to the capital.  It appears that although our adversary left, the Key did not.”

“What?!”  Benedict’s pale form reddened.

James could not help but laugh.  “See?  You are a fool through and through.  The demon has eyes on its location.”

“That’s just what I need, yet another of His lackeys with his own agenda.”

“Be wary of your words, Vampire.  This is no ordinary demon, this is a Knight of Hell.”

 

 

“You keep watching that woman,” the melodious voice of his Queen sounded behind Lee.  He fought the instinct to let the images in his scrying pool vanish – she had seen them and it would only make him look as if he had been caught doing something he should not be.  He turned around and bowed deeply.

“Just a distraction to keep me occupied, my Queen,” he answered, not meeting her gaze.

“Oh, I don't mind, dear.  In fact I think you should watch her very closely.  That furry beast she's with at the moment might endanger her gravely.”

Lee frowned.  “You have interest in her, too?”

Tilda laughed her melodious laugh.  “Oh, dear boy, not at all.  I have plans that include her, but I do not care for her well-being.  If you do so, you may pursue her, but be aware that she's a pawn in a dangerous game.”

Lee tilted his head and bowed again, showing he had understood.  He had been appalled when his Vanessa had touched the man and his jealousy had confused him.  She was just a human, even if she was an exceptional one.

Tilda cupped his face and smiled, letting the world seem brighter and more peaceful.  “They will be leaving soon.  You might want to follow them.  I know how you abhor leaving your forest, but it's Londinium where they will meet their fate.”

To his own surprise, Lee felt no misgivings at the prospect of leaving. All his focus was on Vanessa and he would search her out. He needed to claim her.  His cape swirled as he turned to leave.

“One more thing, my Elf husband.”

Lee turned at the sound of her voice, and came practically nose to nose with Tilda.  Her sudden proximity was unnerving, yet arousing.  Clearing his throat he managed, “Yes?”

Her fingers ran down the side of his face in affection.  “The humans do not work in isolation.  They have their teams, their chapters, their scholars and their hunters.  There is an army there ready, they just need to be told that the war is coming.”

“I cannot lead an army.”  Her bright eyes were drawing him in once more, as they had done many times over the centuries.

Tilda gave a low chuckle.  “Yes, we all remember what happened with the Dwarves.”  Her lips grazed his delicately.  “You may not be able to, but Hiddleston might.”

“Go to London, raise army, save Vanessa, not let Hiddleston die.  Right.”  Lee’s lips pressed harder into hers as his fingers trailed over her hips.  “Do I need to leave immediately?”

“Soon.  But you forget in our fairy courtship; a minute is an hour, an hour is a lifetime.”

 

 

The dark figure crouched in the dark cellar.  Their ears trained on the smallest noise or the slightest shift in air that would signal the approach of an adversary.  Content that they were alone for time being, they leant back against wall and with hesitation struck a match against the brickwork.  Squinting at the sudden brightness they reached into the knapsack slung over their shoulder and pulled out two candles and a roll of paper.  Lighting one candle with the match, they watched as the wax pooled before dripping the runoff onto the ground, and standing the candle up.  With the second candle they began to scribble onto the paper with the clear wax, writing in both code and mirror-hand.  With the note complete they rolled up the parchment and dripped a seal on the join from the lit candle.  Once the wax had hardened slightly, they scratched a complex symbol into the seal.

The grey light of a London dawn began to grow and filter through the floorboards over his head.  The figure snuffed out the candle and reached for his possessions, stuffing them back into his bag.  He pushed up the trapdoor above his head and pulled himself back into the world above.

His demeanour changed as he strode from the dark warehouse and deposited the scroll in a seemingly unremarkable crate of potatoes, which were then loaded onto a cart, destined for the West End.

Turning the corner the figure passed a friendly face, who recognised him.  “Good morning Doctor.”

The figure from the cellar doffed his hat in return greeting and disappeared into the crowd.


	16. Chapter 16

Suspicion is the cancer of friendship. 

Petrarch 

\----

 

When the sun began to rise over the inn, Vanessa and Mina had already packed their bags. With Christopher's help they had put Thomas in his bed, letting him sleep off his magical high. Unsure what to do with Vila, they had brought her to the barn, still tied up and struggling wildly.

The inn keeper had been awake by the time the fighting was over and had only very haltingly accepted their apologies after Vanessa had promised him money for the necessary repairs. Now Mina was pacing the inn's sitting room, while Vanessa and Christopher sat in a corner and conversed in low tones. Mina didn't quite understand what was going on, except that Vanessa somehow knew Christopher from when they were children. She had agreed to wait until Thomas would be awake to hear the explanation. Christopher claimed it was quite a long story.

She wondered if Thomas would remember anything from the night. What might he think of her if he could recall it? After all, he had been under a spell, while she... should have had all her senses together. She was glad that nothing else had happened, though a part of her wondered if the future might bring an encore – without Vila of course. But she should be worrying about other things. For example the mysterious phone-call Vanessa had made. It had sounded as if she was talking in some sort of code. Should Mina be suspicious of her? She felt somehow left out, which made her uneasy, especially if Thomas would decide that she was just a silly girl, driven by her emotions.

The creaking of steps on the stairs made her look up. There he was, Doctor Hiddleston. He looked pale and had dark shadows under his eyes. Even though Vila hadn't quite finished what she had planned with him, a lot of his energy was drained and he would be feeble. He smiled weakly at Mina and slowly descended, clinging to the rail.

“Good morning, Mina,” he greeted her and she nodded at him. “I fear last night was a low point for me. Thank you for rescuing me.” He wasn't looking at her and she stared at his profile, wondering what this meant.

“Of course,” she answered in a weak voice. He squeezed her hand in his and then walked on, leaving her even more confused.

“What is this?” he exclaimed when he saw Vanessa and Christopher sitting side by side. Christopher jumped up, looking nervous, but Vanessa stayed on the sofa, looking defiant.

“Doctor Hiddleston, may I introduce you to Mr Christopher Evans. Christopher, this is my colleague, Doctor Hiddleston.” Both man nodded at each other, the doctor's face still suspicious, Christopher looking as if he'd rather be some place else.

“Christopher is a long lost friend of mine,” Vanessa explained and gestured at the sofa and chairs, silently asking them to sit down. The inn keeper brought tea and sandwiches, as Vanessa had asked him to do once Thomas would come down.

“We met in Africa, when I was still very young. He saved my life.”

“My family travelled a lot when I was young, neither Ireland nor Italy being friendly to our kind. We spent a long time in South Africa, together with other … misfits. One day I found her, but we were split up again.” He looked at Vanessa and it was clear that there was more to this story. Mina wondered what “finding” might mean exactly – she suspected that he didn't mean it in the casual way you normally used this word.

Thomas frowned, too. He looked at Vanessa, but her face was devoid of any clue. She held her head high and sat very straight, as if she was preparing to stand her ground.

“When my family learned of the presence of Vanessa's father so close to us, they fled. We spent years on the road again, until we settled in Madrid for a while. We just wanted to live a normal life, but soon certain elements contacted us. We were forced to do odd jobs for them. One night Benedict came to our house. He took my mother and father, but only he came back. He claimed that they had been killed during an attack from humans who had sworn to destroy beings like us. He took me with him and of course I went, having nobody left in the world. I became a part of his circle, doing things for him, not having much of a choice.” He cleared his throat and took Vanessa's hand. Thomas' frown deepened again and Mina felt a pang of jealousy.

“The moment I recognized Vanessa, I knew I could leave. I had a reason to live again. To decide my own path.”

“So you deflect because of somebody you meat a life time ago?” Thomas asked, his voice sounding gravelly.

“No, because I'm whole again.” There was silence after this announcement. Thomas and Vanessa seemed to communicate without words, their faces set, but their eyes blazing.

“Could I talk privately for a moment, please?” Thomas finally asked her and she got up, leading him out of the room. Mina nibbled on her sandwich, while Christopher drank his tea, the fine china looking almost silly in his big hands. Sounds of a very heated conversation came from the next room and Christopher cleared his throat again.

“I can imagine that you don't have any reason to trust me. But I know quite a lot about Benedict and his plans. I'm willing to help.”

Mina nodded and smiled. It took a while before Thomas and Vanessa came back. Neither of them looked pleased, but they seemed to be willing to be civil. Thomas nodded at Christopher and then went back up to collect his bag. Shortly afterwards there was the sound of a car-horn outside.

“That must be our ride,” Vanessa said. “We can load in our bags and then look after Vila.”

Outside a sleek black car waited for them, a new model, very expensive. The driver was waiting for them and bowed when he saw Vanessa. “Madam, the Doctor sends his compliments,” he greeted her.

“Splendid,” she answered and waved him away when he tried to take her bag off her.

Mina went to the barn to check on Vila. Where she had been only the ropes remained, looking as if they were chewed through.

“She could be anywhere,” Thomas said, still looking grumpy. “We have to go to London.”

 


	17. Chapter 17

_Trust is like glass; once broken it is hard to fix, and if repaired it is rarely the same - Unknown_

 

Thomas hung back and held open the door of the car as everyone else climbed in.  His brain was still foggy from everything that had happened over the past two days.  He was a scholar now, no longer a hunter.  By rights he should not even be here.  He thought back; if only he had left the library half an hour earlier, someone else would have had to deal with this when they had opened up the next morning.  If only he had sent Mina off with Vanessa and stayed behind with the manuscript in the safe house, he could have translated in peace without these constant interruptions.  But it had happened and he was reluctantly back in the field, and what a bizarre field it had become.

As he shut the door after Vanessa, she peered through the glass at him.  He felt his blood boil and avoided her eye.  He climbed into the front seat of the car next to the driver and signalled that they were ready to leave.  As the countryside rolled past, in the other direction this time, the conversation was almost non-existent amongst them, and Thomas for one was happy with this.

He had trusted Bailey, he had trusted her with his life.  They had only been partners for six months but he had felt they had built up a rapport; she tolerated his scatty ways and he accepted her need for military precision in all things.  Yet then she goes and pulls this stunt.

Thomas pulled out his notebook and flicked to the well-worn pages at the front.  Amongst the important phone numbers and code words was a lunar chart.  His fingers ran down the dates and his heart leapt into his throat.  He had not realised how far along in the cycle they had come, and it was then he noticed the extra little symbol he had marked next to the date, three days hence.

His eyes flicked over his shoulder, and his eyes met with Christopher’s.  Thomas broke first as his brain whirred.  The coincidences were stacking up, he reached into his bag for the manuscript once again to check a passage.  The timing could not be coincidence, blood moons occurred so infrequently that this had to be part of someone’s bigger plan.  Thomas did not like not knowing things, it had always been his motivation to uncover and decode, yet in this prelude to battle it felt as if there was someone else pulling the strings.  Whether they were a benevolent or malevolent puppet master would soon be discovered.

 

Vanessa too watched the countryside pass as she nestled into Christopher’s large shoulder.  Her body yearned, ached to be close to him.  Even losing touch of his hands several times in the inn had been torture.  She was not stupid, she knew exactly what he was, and she knew the consequences.  Thomas’ objections had been full of sensibilities and repercussions, but she could not make him understand how she felt.  She had never been in love before, and she was not even sure that this was love.  There was something much baser to her feelings, something that made her squirm and her body feel warm when she touched Christopher.  Her womanly core pulsed when his fingers reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes.  Her eyes flittered shut as his hand took its time to descend, brushing against her cheek and chin before falling back into his own lap.  She kept her eyes shut as she breathed deeply to rid her mind of the thoughts and wanton need.

Nevertheless her mind threw images of men and women, naked men and women, writhing and squirming images, of couples performing acts that she had only heard tell of as a young teenager overhearing soldier’s banter.  She saw herself with Christopher, kissing, touching each other, exploring his hard body with her fingers and her mouth as he reciprocated.  Her breathing deepened as she tried to convince her body to remember that she was still in the car, and that was when she heard the voice.

The voice of the Elf King weaved the images and constructed new ones in her mind; her body being explored by two men at once, of other women touching her, and she them, of the form that she knew Christopher would soon take dominating over her prone body.  He continued to tell her of the horrible wonders that her body could endure.  She felt her consciousness slipping as Lee’s probing brought forth further dark horrors to her.

As she saw the car, and her own sleeping form inside it, from an outsider’s view point, she sat bolt upright and stared out of the window.  There, blended against the trees, unremarkable if she had not been looking for him, was he.  His face was unreadable, yet she knew from her mental connection with him that he was unhappy with her and her connection with Christopher.

“We’re being followed.”  She found her voice and spoke to the other occupants of the car.

Mina replied.  “The big black storm cloud that brings the dark ones should have told you that.”

Vanessa looked at the other woman.  “No, the fairies follow us too.”

Thomas turned and looked from one woman to the other, before peering out of the rear window.  “Driver, any chance of speeding up?”


	18. Chapter 18

Where there's tea there's hope.   
Arthur Wing Pinero

\----

The car pulled up to a fairly large Victorian house in Chelsea just before noon. It seemed a bit grander than it's neighbours and yet less cared for. Mina noticed the distasteful look on Thomas' face as he regarded it.   
The driver opened the door for her and she stepped on the curb in front of the house, looking to the doctor. He hadn't stopped frowning and the icy distance between him and Vanessa was palpable. Vanessa and Christopher stood side by side, a bit too closely, but both kept from touching each other, which seemed to be hard for either of them. While it's been only a few days and much had happened, it still bothered Mina how the connection she had felt in their little group of three had shattered and everything had changed.   
The front door opened and a tall man stepped out. The driver bowed and the man nodded at him, which seemed to be a dismissal. Their bags were unloaded and the car drove off.   
When Thomas didn't move, Vanessa moved past him and opened the wrought iron gate, stepped through and went up the stairs. Exchanging glances, the others followed her. 

“Miss Bailey, welcome,” the man said and shook Vanessa's hand.   
“Doctor Fassbender, thank you for your help,” she answered.   
“Please, do come in everybody, there's no need to stand about outside,” he continued and lead them into the house.   
Mina decided that he somehow fitted the place. Both were elegant and cultivated, but at the same time it seemed that something lurked underneath the surface. While the house's interior was surprisingly modern and far cleaner than the outside, she noticed that the walls were a bit thicker than the rooms suggested. She suspected there were a lot of secrets hidden behind those walls. Doctor Fassbender himself moved with the grace of a predator. He had the same air of knowledge and politeness as Thomas, but underneath was something more primal. Both were gentlemen, but Thomas felt far more safe, far more domesticated compared to the other man. Unconsciously she stayed close to Thomas and when she looked at him, she felt that he now needed her loyalty and support. 

Their host lead them to a parlour where tea and sandwiches were already awaiting them.   
“Doctor Fassbender, if I may introduce everybody?” began Vanessa and gently pushed Mina towards the man.   
“This is Miss Mina, a research assistant from Poland,” she introduced Mina, who smiled and shook the doctor’s hand.   
“This is Christopher Evans, a friend of mine.”   
Mina wondered how she was only a foreign help, when the werewolf suddenly was a friend, but she kept smiling pleasantly.   
“And you certainly have heard of Doctor Hiddleston?”  
“Of course! Doctor Hiddleston.” The man held out his hand.  
“Doctor Fassbender.” Thomas took it guardedly. The tone of his voice was still icy.  
A brief, awkward pause followed.   
“Well, I'm glad you're here. Care for some tea?” Fassbender offered, but Thomas shook his head.   
“There are more pressing matters at hand. I believe you have something that belongs to me?”  
The other man frowned and exchanged a glance with Vanessa. He cleared his throat and smiled, a bit patronizing in Mina's view.   
“I have something that belongs to the organisation, and to science.”  
“Miss Bailey should never have contacted you.”  
“But she did, and now we are here.”  
“Yes. Here we are.” Thomas exchanged a look with Vanessa that told her he was even angrier with her. Turning back to his colleague he returned to the task at hand. “What do you intend to do with the Key?”  
“You still have the manuscript?” Thomas nodded his affirmative. “Then we head to my workshop. Maybe the ladies and Mr Evans would like to stay here and take some refreshments?”  
“No,” Mina injected. “Thank you, but...”   
Thomas interrupted her: “Miss Mina has a vested interest and special knowledge in this case. I don't think we should leave her behind.”  
Fassbender inclined his head and looked at Vanessa, who exchanged a glance with Christopher. For a moment Mina wondered if the other woman was so infatuated with Christopher that she had lost her mind and the independence that Mina had so admired. To her relief, Vanessa's answer seemed entirely sensible.   
“Mr Evans and me will stay behind. I trust that the three of you will be able to reach your destination without being followed. While you are there, we will try to find out more about who followed us.”  
“Good thinking,” replied Fassbender. “I have to collect some things before we start. Miss Bailey, you already know your way around the house, so if you need anything just help yourself.”  
At the mention of Vanessa knowing the house so well, Mina and Thomas exchanged glances, while Christopher looked a bit alarmed. Vanessa just nodded and with a smile to Mina and an almost apologetic shrug to Thomas she left the room with Christopher in tow.   
“Doctor Hiddleston, Miss Mina, would you please excuse me for a moment? I have to collect a few things and will be back with you presently.”  
Thomas made an affirmative noise and Fassbender left. 

“What is happening here, Thomas?” Mina asked him as soon as they were alone.   
“I'm not entirely sure. It seemed that Bailey has lost her mind. Without my knowledge she included Fassbender and gave him the Key. I admit he was helpful in getting us back to London, but I don't trust him. I didn't know they were this close.” He stalked over to the buffet and helped himself to some tea, pouring a cup for her, too.   
“So we can't trust Vanessa?” Mina asked, chilled to the core. She accepted the cup and looked up at him.   
“It pains me to say that I'm not sure anymore.” He sighed and took a sip, raising his brow in appreciation. In spite of it all, Mina had to smile. He looked at her and his mien became softer, almost tender.   
“We have to see this through, Mina,” he murmured. “But together we have a chance, as long as we stick together.”  
“Ha, a roll with butter,” Mina snorted and Thomas raised an eyebrow. She smiled: “I think you would say 'a piece of cake'.”  
“Ah, I see. Indeed, it will be roll with butter for us.”


	19. Chapter 19

_Magic's just science that we don't understand yet - Arthur C. Clarke_

 

Mina had never seen such as place as the one she descended into now.  Deep in the basement below a tanner’s yard, they entered Doctor Fassbender’s workshop with trepidation.

By the light of the single candle that she held ahead of her, Mina could just make out rough shapes of tables, glass jars that reflected the light and against one wall what appeared to be the remnants of an automobile that spewed forth a mass of electrical cable like a kraken.

Bidding them to wait at the foot of the stairs, Fassbender now headed towards this pile, and with a swift crank of a handle the contraption sprang into action and lights began to splutter to life around them.  Mina smiled, it was nothing more than a generator, one it seemed on second inspection, in the brighter light, very similar to the one her father and uncles had built for their stronghold back home.  Her momentary pang of internal mourning was interrupted by Doctor Fassbender’s voice.

“When Miss Bailey contacted me she said that you had found a description of some sort of mechanical machine within the manuscript.”

“The text is all over the place, I have not been able to translate it all completely, and there are many phrases I am unfamiliar with.”  Mina could hear the reluctance in Thomas’ voice at the admission of his own failings.

“Which I assume is why she thought I could help.  Your reputation precedes you Doctor Hiddleston, you are unmatched when it comes to knowledge of the creatures we deal with.  Yet, if I maybe so bold, there are none who’s knowledge of the scientific arts, at least within our organisation, that match my own.”

The scientist headed to the large desk on the far wall.  Thomas held out his arm and Mina gratefully took it as they followed him, stepping over small piles of screws, cogs, and bottles of indescribable liquids.  This workshop of his was an incredible cross of something between a hospital, a medieval alchemist’s shop, and a junk yard.

“And this is what the fuss is all about.”  He bent over and retrieved something from a small box on his desk and held out the small round object to them.  It was as round as a teacup and several inches deep.  The gold of its construction was tainted with age, and a myriad of symbols and words adorned both the top and the sides.

“The Key!”  Mina made a grab for it, but Fassbender was too quick and his hand pulled back.

“What do you know?”  He eyed her with suspicion.  “You are not really a research assistant are you?”

“No.  I am a hunter from the Von Hermann stronghold and the Key belongs to me and my family.”  Mina took a fighting stance.

“The renegades.”  Thomas whispered as he looked at her in shock.  She realised that despite everything that they had been through, she had not actually told him who she was.

“That’s what your people have called us, but we have been doing the work for thousands of years that you people dared not do.”

“Mina…”  Thomas’ hand closed over hers in a show of affection.  “This is bigger than all of us now.  I don’t care about your background and how we came to find each other, but we now all have to work together to solve this.”

Mina relaxed as she looked into Thomas’ eyes where she found only compassion and something that she had dared to secretly hope for.  Swallowing hard she nodded.

Fassbender cleared his throat.  “So what do we know already and how can we move forward?”

Thomas reluctantly let go of Mina’s hand and took up his notebook.  “The Key opens a door and behind that door is, for all intents and purposes, the Devil himself.”

“And the machine?”

“The machine, if my translation is correct, will stop his hoards.”

Mina peered over his shoulder but the letters on his page appeared randomly in that strange code he wrote in.  “Stop them, how?”

“I’m not too sure.  The manuscript is sketchy.”  He pulled out the large book and laid it down on Fassbender’s desk.  Turning to the relevant page he pointed to the words and diagrams.  “It talks about ‘cleansing of the Earth’.  If that’s true, then all evil could be banished.”

“All evil creatures, just gone?”

“That’s worth the risk.”  Thomas looked to Mina, who suddenly realised what it would mean.

“No more Benedict?  No more vampires?”  Her heart soared momentarily.

“Exactly.”  Thomas grinned at her apparent pleasure.

However Mina paused as a thought crossed her mind.  She chose her next words carefully.  “And how do you think Vanessa will feel about this?”

“Bailey?  She will be over the moon, she will…  Oh…”  Thomas stopped before shaking his head.  “I have always found Bailey to be a practical person.  I believe she would be willing to sacrifice her infatuation with that creature when she realises the full scale of the implications of this.”

Mina looked to Doctor Fassbender who said nothing but pulled a large sheet of drafting paper towards him and began to silently sketch in pencil.  Thomas shook his head once more and joined Fassbender by pointing out significant information from the manuscript.  Mina felt redundant, so settled down into a cosy chair she found under a pile of springs and coils and waited.

Several hours later the two Doctors were ready to explain their design and their plan.

“And so then all that we need to do is place the Key within the machine by the time that the moon rises and the natural forces should take care of the rest.”

“And what’s this here?”  Mina pointed to the red circle surrounding the depiction of the Key in the diagram.  She read the Latin word next to it.  “Sanguis?”

“Blood.”  Both Doctors answered her at once.  The men glanced at each other with a look of apprehension.

Thomas flicked through his notebook.  “Blood of the moon and blood of three.  I originally read this as death, but now with reference to the machine it is better read as bleeding of three.  If Fassbender’s calculations are correct we would need close to 9 pints of blood, which is three from each and that is still enough to kill.”

“Could it be in unequal quantities?  Say we bleed Benedict dry, then you and I would only have to donate a pint each?”  Mina clutched at straws.

Thomas shook his head sadly.  “You see this figure here?  It shows the elements in perfect alignment, it would need to be equal.”

“So if we hadn’t have let Vila and Benedict escape, we would not be having this dilemma?”

“You would still be having half of this discussion.  I fear Miss Bailey will still sacrifice herself, it has always been her nature to protect those she cares for, despite her normal practical nature.”  Doctor Fassbender pulled the sheet with his diagram back towards himself and made a small note in the corner.

Thomas bristled again.  “You seem to know an awful lot about Bailey.”

Fassbender did not look up.  “Before she was your partner, she was my lab assistant.  I was good friends with her father, I had promised him I would never let her go out in the field.  When your last partner got killed the decision was taken out of my hands by those higher up in the organisation.”

“I never believed in fate, but it was a werewolf that killed Bailey’s predecessor.  I’m willing to put money on it having been Christopher who was responsible for that.”

“Then we have a problem.”

“Yes we do.”


	20. Chapter 20

 It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it. 

Douglas MacArthur

 

\----

 

Vanessa crouched on the roof terrace of a neighbouring house, Christopher’s reassuring presence behind her. There had been no movements for at least an hour. She knew that Hiddleston, Fassbender and Mina were already at the workshop and no shadows had peeled away, looking for them.

She still felt the weight of being watched, but it made her feel strangely safe - it had to be Lee. For a while at the inn, she had almost forgotten about him, caught in the whirl of Christopher’s appearance. During the car ride, his influence on her had been oppressive, dizzying, but now it felt like a gentle stream. She knew that she should have talked to both doctors, but she couldn’t bring herself to say what they already suspected: she was compromised. Deeply and dually.

Christopher, a werewolf, had taken her heart, her friendship. Lee, an elf, had taken her need, her lust. Right now, she tried to concentrate on her mission, her goal, keeping her mind and her reason for herself, but the men were never far away, always waiting at the edge of her thoughts.

She slowly unfolded and moved to the other side of the terrace. Christopher didn’t move a muscle, but she could sense the shift of his focus. She should not be thinking about him watching her, but she did. Vanity had never been a trait of hers. She liked sensible clothing, making amends to whatever function she had to fulfil, but the world of fashion was strange to her. Now she suddenly wondered if he was able to make out her curves and what he made of her eton crop, probably the only thing fashionable about her. Rolling her eyes at herself, she took a deep breath and tried to seal her thoughts away, concentrating on what she was here to do.

It was still bright daylight and she suspected that nobody would attack them until dusk, but she had to stay vigilant. A while back she had noticed a man taking his dog for a walk. He had passed them for the third time now, which seemed careless for a spy. A decoy? Again she let her gaze drift over the street and the park. Playing children, elderly women feeding pigeons, a woman in rusty red talking to a chimney sweep.

“Vila,” Christopher suddenly said, making Vanessa turn around.

“Where?” she whispered. He closed his eyes and stretched his neck, his nostrils quivering.

“East of us, still a bit away,” he reported after a minute. Vanessa turned and went to the terrace door.

“I will alert the staff, especially the men. Would you stay here, my dear?”

Christopher looked at her with an earnest face. He obviously didn’t like to let her leave alone, but he nodded. She smiled and gently touched his cheek, then turned and walked away briskly.

  
  


Mrs French, the Fassbender household’s cook, was a stout woman. Beloved by everybody, she still held authority and nobody questioned her when she raised her voice even a little bit. Vanessa turned to her for help, knowing that the men would only question her.

With Mr Oldman the Butler, Eddie the Footman and the driver, there were only three men that Vila might use. Mrs French knew Vanessa well enough to agree to help her. Within minutes, the men were assembled and followed the cook into the cellar, thinking they were to help her move one of the heavy barrels.

With amusement Vanessa watched Mrs French talking the men into going deep into the cellar. Surprisingly swift on her feet, she turned around and ran up the stairs, closing the heavy door and locking it. At once Mr Oldman was at the door, demanding an explanation.

“Dear Mr Oldman, you have to trust me in this matter. You will be far safer down there,” Mrs French told him. He was inclined to listen to her, but still suspicious.

“What danger could there be that we have to hide from and leave the women on their own?” he asked and Vanessa cleared her throat.

“Mr Oldman, you know what Mr Fassbender and I have been working on. This is one such case.”

There was only a sober “Oh.” and then the sound of feet walking away from the door.

“At least they’ll have food,” Mrs French said amused. “Let us arm the maids!”

Both Emma, the kitchen maid, and Ruth, the housemaid were trained in self-defence and able to shoot a gun. Vanessa remembered their weekly training fondly - for a long time it had been the only thing akin to field work she was able to do. She collected appropriate weapons from Doctor Fassbender’s armoury and instructed the women to watch for anything unusual.

Nobody was to be let into the house, even if they knew them - especially not men. It still were a few hours until sundown, but now Vanessa had the feeling that something would happen before then.

“I need to check the perimeter. I will go upstairs and dress less conspicuous and then go for a walk. If I come back and you have any doubt that I might be myself, don’t let me enter. Always ask for the password and have me touch cold iron.”

The other women nodded and promised to keep watch. Vanessa hoped that Fassbender, Hiddleston and Mina would understand what was going on, if they’d return before she did.

  
  


Dressed like a proper lady, Vanessa slowly walked down the street, heading for the park. She didn’t spot anybody she had seen from the roof terrace, not even the man walking his dog. She was pretty sure that Christopher was watching her intently, but she had to shove every thought about him away. Few people were in the park now, as the shadows slowly grew longer and most would be sitting down for tea about now.

Her steps were loud on the gravel, but it couldn’t be helped even though it went against her every instinct. The park was surprisingly silent, almost too much so. A breeze made her shiver and she suddenly felt lonely and yearned for company. She saw something flashing out of the corner of her eyes and turned. It came from one of the bushes, heavy intoxicatingly sweet azalea blossoms. She stepped off the path and walked over, curious what might have caught her attention.

Leaning down, she smelled the flowers and smiled. Suddenly a strong hand grasped for her wrist and pulled her into the bush.

She found herself in Lee’s arms. He was standing tall, surrounded by bushes that seemed to have grown like a natural tent. His arms were wrapped around her tightly, his face buried against her neck.

“Vanessa,” he murmured and it was as if the sound of his voice alone could take away her loneliness. She felt herself blushing and melting against him. His lips ghosted over her skin and she closed her eyes, forgetting everything except his touch.

“Vanessa, I need to protect you. You are in danger,” he whispered and even though she sensed the meaning of his words, it didn’t matter. All that matters was that he was with her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her lips searched for his. He groaned and turned his head away, his eyes closed. Disappointed she pouted, but rubbed herself against him, eager to feel him. His hands ran over her back, down to her arse, pulling her closer.

“We don’t have time,” he sighed and she didn’t understand. His body was reacting to hers, what held him back? His fingers tore at the fabric of her dress and then he pushed her away.

“I will take you, woman. I will make you mine. You will experience things only few mortals have. But now I have to warn you. Listen!”

His eyes blazed and as if a veil had ripped, Vanessa’s sensed cleared and she realized that something unnatural was happening. It seemed that Vila was trying to influence every male in the vicinity. Appalled by how easy she had fallen for Lee’s glamour, she stepped back from the elf, but he grabbed her arm again.

“Listen, Vanessa. You and your friends are running into a trap. The device could destroy not only the supernatural but your world, too.”

 


	21. Chapter 21

I can express no kinder sign of love, than this kind kiss. - Shakespeare  Henry VI, Part I, Act I, scene 1

\----

It took Doctor Fassbender a while to collect some things he wanted to take with him.

Thomas was sure that their adversaries would attack rather sooner than later and was eager to return to the house. He stood close to Mina, feeling the need to protect her. It was ridiculous – so far she had been better at saving him than the other way around, but that didn't stop his mind from being calmer when he could watch over her.

He watched Fassbender tinker and search around, wondering what this chaos could bring forth that might be helpful. It was getting late and soon darkness would fall. They had to get back or they might already be too late.

He looked at Mina and found her studying his face.

“You are worried,” she said in a low voice. “What is it that bothers you?”

He smiled at her, touched by her concern for him.

“It's Bailey,” he answered. A frown ghosted over Mina's face, but she hurried to appear calm and neutral.

“I'm sure she will be all right,” she replied and he shook his head softly.

“I'm not so sure. I never had words with her like we had today. She's behaving irrational. I know that she's headstrong, but never like this. I admire her ability to keep calm in almost any situation, but this...”

Mina bit her lower lip.

“I'm sure she will come to her senses. Maybe you should tell her how you feel.”

He laughed bitterly.

“I don't think that she wants to hear what yet another man thinks about her. She's behaving strangely since we met that elf. Maybe all this attention is getting to her head.”

Mina looked taken aback. He frowned and wanted to say something to sooth her, but Fassbender called from behind them.

“I assembled everything. We should be armed against most of what they can throw against us now.”

Thomas wasn't so sure about this, but he was glad they could be leaving now.

He took one of the boxes Fassbender had assembled and nodded at the other man to lead the way.

They took a door Thomas hadn't noticed so far at the backside of the workshop. It lead to a tunnel which they followed for a good while. When they arrived at a heavy wooden door, Fassbender bade them to wait for him. He vanished, leaving the box he was carrying behind.

They waited for a good while in the darkness. Suddenly Thomas felt something at his leg. He hissed and stepped back hastily, bumping into Mina.

“It's a rat,” she observed, amusement in her voice.

“It startled me,” he replied, trying to save his dignity. He was now standing very close to her. Her smile was guarded and he wondered what he had done wrong.

Soon Fassbender came back and beckoned them to follow him.

“It's not that far away anymore,” he explained and took his box.

 

The streets were curiously empty. During the time they had spent in the workshop, heavy clouds had darkened the sky. It seemed to be unseasonally cold and Thomas noticed Mina shivering.

“We should hurry,” his colleague said. They were only a few streets away from Fassbender's house, but Thomas felt uneasy. Something in the air felt stifling. It tugged at his memories, but he couldn't quite pinpoint it. A feeling of déjà vu and dread, boiling behind his solar plexus, slowly wandering lower.

“Vila!” he hissed, suddenly remembering where he had felt something like this before. It had been moments before his encounter with that creature. He hadn't connected it before, but it just had to be her.

“Take this,” Fassbender said and handed him something. “Squeeze it just enough to feel the pain, it will keep your mind clear for a while.”

It turned out to be a small ball, made of metal. It was covered in spikes, not very sharp, but enough to hurt when he made a fist around it.

“Only use it when you feel your control slipping or it won't help you after too long,” the other man added and hurried on. Grimly nodding at Mina, who was looking very worried, he followed.

The rest of the way Thomas had the feeling that inky shadows were following them, always just out of his vision. Gusts of cold wind tore at their clothes and everything seemed sharper in the strange twilight.

“There's the house,” Fassbender huffed. They ran the last steps and Thomas felt as if something big and dangerous was right behind them.

Fassbender was pounding against the door, demanding to be let in.

“Miss Bailey told us to not let anybody in!” they heard a female voice from within.   
“I'm the head of this household!” Fassbender thundered and more female voices could be heard. They seemed to discuss if they should let them in.

“Please let us in!” Mina called. “I can assure you that the men are still masters of their own will. But you have to hurry!”

Thomas was surprised when he realized that he was proud of Mina. Quick thinking – she had realized what must have happened.

The door opened and they stormed in. After the first few steps they were stopped by armed maids.

“What is this charade?” Fassbender bellowed.

“Sir, the other man are starting to behave strangely. Miss Bailey bade us to keep them in the cellar. Would you please touch this?”

With a frown Fassbender grabbed the poker. Relief showed on the women's faces and they made way for them.

“Where is Bailey?” asked Thomas, worried.

“She left alone. Not much later the sky got dark,” a maid reported and Fassbender frowned.

“Ruth, when was that?” he demanded.

“About two hours ago,” she replied. The men swore.

Fassbender went to his study to prepare their defence and left Thomas and Mina standing alone in the hallway.

Thomas began to pace and huffed.

“He let her go alone, I thought he cared for her,” he hissed the last word, dripping with sarcasm.

“You are jealous,” Mina whispered.

“What? No! I'm infuriated at her unprofessional behaviour! Especially in times like this!” he exclaimed. His hands closed around hers. “I don't have romantic feelings for her,” he murmured. Was that something like hope in her eyes? He knew that this wasn't a time to think about romantic entanglements. Still he couldn't bring himself to let go of her hand.

“You don't?” she asked softly. He shook his head and looked at her upturned face.

“Thomas, I think..” she murmured, but he shook his head again. Then he leaned down and kissed her.  

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

_A house divided against itself cannot stand - Abraham Lincoln_

\-----------

Thomas felt Mina lean into him as the kiss lingered.  He had kissed many women in his youth, well not many but a few, but with Mina it felt different.  This time being completely under his own authority, he wanted it to last forever.  Her arms wrapped around him and he pulled her closer still with his arms across her back.  Mina fervently returned each of his kisses with her own.  Her hands wound into his hair and pulled his lips into hers.  Thomas pulled back only to look into her eyes, which were blown wide with longing.  With an eager smile he plunged back into her neck, laying kisses along her throat and behind her ears.  Mina gasped and her hands buried themselves deeper into his curls to the point that she staggered backwards with the force of Thomas' body against hers.  They stumbled together until Mina’s back hit the wall with a force that pushed her hips into his.  This time she moaned in his arms as he wantonly pushed his growing erection into her.  His hands ventured down her back feeling her bottom through the thin dress she wore.

“Thomas…”  Mina moaned, her voice thick with her accent spurred him on.  His hands roamed higher again, over her hips before becoming bold and reaching for her breasts.

“Oh Mina, please tell me you want this?”

“I do Thomas.”  She kissed him back again her own hands on his hips grinding him against her with an urgency of lust.

The bang of a door above them and heavy footsteps down the stairs made them break apart like guilty children.  Christopher came into view, his heavy set body filling the staircase.  Mina could not grab Thomas back quick enough before he flew at the other in anger.

“You let her go out!  What were you thinking?”  Thomas’ hands made a grab for the man’s shirt, but Christopher’s reflexes were too quick and he stepped aside, holding up his hands in an attempt to show his innocence.

“It’s not my place to dictate what she does.  She was the best person for the job.”  Christopher skirted around the hallway as Mina threw herself between the two men.  “Vila could not have harmed her.”

“And what about you?  All that time you spent with Vila and you never got affected?”  Thomas was spitting his words now.  His anger filling his being, his blood pressure already high from his arousal.

The raised voices of the pair brought Fassbender from his study and Mrs French from the kitchens.

“It is true my nature protects me most of the time but I am getting vulnerable.  The closer to the animal state I become, the less likely I am to see sense.”  Christopher was calm in the face of Thomas’ anger.  “Vanessa is not a china doll.  She is not as vulnerable as you like to think she is.”

“But she is vulnerable; she has half her mind on you and half on that damned Elf and none on the job in hand, she could be anywhere!”

“I have just come from the roof, I have been able to track her scent all this time.  I would have let you know if she was in danger.”

“Ahem.”  A third voice joined the argument from behind Mrs French.

“Bailey!”  Thomas whipped around.

“Vanessa.”  Christopher smiled gently in a smirk that told Thomas that he had been expecting her.

“I am not a child Thomas.”  Vanessa pulled her coat from her shoulders and handed it to Mrs French as she pulled off her gloves calmly.  “And this is not the time for arguments amongst ourselves.”

“But _he_ is not one of us.”  Thomas pointed at Christopher in fury.  “He is one of _them_ , and in less than twenty four hours he will be the biggest liability possible.”

“Dr Hiddleston.”  Dr Fassbender’s voice cut the air.  “I think now would be a good time for us to step into my study with Miss Bailey and discuss the implications of what we have discovered today.”

“No!”  Vanessa voice rose suddenly shrilly as she ran into Christopher’s arms.  “Anything you have to say to me, can be said in front of him.  Lee told me everything.”

“Lee?  The Elf?  You saw him?  You spoke with him?”  Thomas’ could feel his face was red and that a vein pumped hard in his temple.

“He is in the park; watching the house, watching us.”  She placed herself in front of Christopher in what Thomas realised was a show of protection.

Thomas rubbed the throb in his temples.  “And what does he say?”

“The machine you are proposing is dangerous.  It will not work as you hope.”  He watched as Vanessa’s hand fumbled and searched for Christopher’s hand.  Gripping it tightly she proceeded.  “It will not only destroy the supernatural, it will destroy everything.  All life on Earth.”

“And he knows this for certain or is he saying this because he will be destroyed too?”  Fassbender became the devil’s advocate, turning to the others he elaborated on his theory.  “I don’t believe the machine will be able to differentiate between good supernatural and evil supernatural.  It is all or nothing.”

The room fell silent as they all digested the information.  Thomas knew the answer he would give, he was almost certain that Mina and Fassbender would share that view.  Yet they could not proceed with the machine without either Bailey’s or Christopher’s help and neither looked to be in a position to be cooperative at this time.

A thunderclap and a scream from outside brought them all running to the windows.  Thomas pulled aside the drapes and with Mina by his side they peered into the dark street.

Underneath a streetlamp opposite stood Benedict.  Even from here they could see his menacing smile.  Yet he was not alone.  Creeping from the shadows came others; bats and foxes, snakes and several large wolves, forest fae and other sprites and more vampire bats floated close.  And behind them all came a rider on a large pale horse, shrouded in a cloak of white and carried a large pointed staff.  Yet the eyes were unmistakable.

“Oh hell.  It’s Vila.”  Thomas whispered as he clutched at the metal ball Fassbender had given him and felt the spikes dig into his flesh.


	23. Chapter 23

Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds - from the Bhagavad Gita

\----

Benedict looked at Vila, prepared for a derisive snort. Then he recognized the horse. His only outward show of emotion was a twitch in his hand, but inside he raged. How could they bestow that honour on that man-crazy bitch? What had she done to deserve to lead the charge and be imbued with power? He had been ready to storm the house with nothing but his own abilities and will. He had called every creature from a 50 mile radius and had instructed unseen assassins to swarm through the whole borough. But no, Vila was chosen. He was sure that it was a slap in the face from James, thinking he could make him step back and forget his own ambitions.   
But Benedict wouldn't let them take his revenge and victory from him. He'd let Vila lead the charge, watch how she made a fool of herself and then he would swoop down and claim the kill.   
He would bathe in the blood of the arrogant professor, the stupid girl and everybody who was dumb enough to help them.   
It took just a twitch of his will to rearrange the army of creatures. Now the weak and clumsy would attack together with Vila. Canon fodder, distraction. The poisonous, the sharp-clawed and wicked would be his vanguard, accompanying his triumph.   
He bowed gracefully to Vila, pretending to show her his deference, offering her his alliance and assistance. His smile he hid carefully. 

Lee clung to the branches of a tree. He knew that the storm had already broken and it was only a matter of time until the humans would see the evidence. Arcane runes on the wind tasted of death and blood-hungry spectres howled silently. He closed his eyes and felt for Tilda, but she was either too far away or her presences clouded by the sheer amount of magic in the air. He hoped that she was somewhere else, because it would be a bad sign if their connection had become this thin – or even worse, the force the Unseelie had invested was so vast.   
He kissed his fingertips and weaved spells of protection, blowing them towards the humans cowering behind the bricks and mortar. He knew it was but a little, but he couldn't use his powers until the chaos had hit so hard that nobody would be able to tell it was his magic helping the humans. But who was he trying to fool? His desire was to help Vanessa. If her human compatriots were really planning to sever the bonds between worlds, he would risk everything to take her with him. Everything. 

Vila took a deep breath. The power the mantle had given her was dizzying, intoxicating. She could sense every human man for miles. Every stirring of lust was like a little light that brightened her sight even more. She could feel Thomas and his tries to control his loins, Michael, who was only slightly more successful, the men under the earth, who had gone nearly crazy already. She knew that she couldn't use the men from the other houses to be her slaves – her power was too mighty for such delicate tasks, but she could draw their energy. Every soiling thought, every man turning towards his wife, every moan was fuel to her. She would only have to push a little bit more and the men inside the house would not be able to control themselves.   
She looked around, seeing with pleasure how Benedict prostrated himself before her. His hauteur had done him nothing good – she had been chosen.   
She had been battered and tired when James had found her. She had feared punishment, but instead he had taken her to a manor in the heart of London. On a throne-like seat a tall figure had reclined, still weak, but growing in power. She had have to take a second look, the resemblance to a man she knew intimately was uncanny - she had rejoiced at the irony of it.   
He had told her his plan. She was to lead the attack, breach the wards of Fassbender's home and take away all they had collected. Then she was to bring the bodies of the three to her master, so he could drain their blood. She would be well rewarded in the new world, the world where she would never have to hide again, where she could feast whenever she wanted without being hunted.   
When James had laid the white cloak over her shoulders she had nearly collapsed from the surge of might that had rushed through her. For a moment she had been sure she would burn alive, until James handed her the staff. She managed to reign the fire inside her in, tasting it on her tongue and hearing it pump through her veins. The horse was brought before her and she mounted it. James had looked at her with pride and had bowed before her.   
“Hail, pale rider. Bring them doom,” he had said and his voice was echoed by the dark laughter of their master.   
She was aware of the spectres and creatures that were flanking her. It was already dusk and their power grew while the light dwindled. She couldn't help but laugh as she spun her web and let it fly. 

James had followed Vila in some distance. Tonight he would observe. It was by no means sure that they would get all they wanted tonight, but there were more plans already set in motion. The most important players where within reach and once the blood moon would rise, they would triumph... and if they had to destroy all of London to reach their goal.


End file.
